Large investors, those with significant capital, have taken a bearish stance on Costco Wholesale (COST), and retail traders should pay attention. This information comes from publicly available options history, which Benzinga tracks. While we don’t know if these are institutional investors or just wealthy individuals, the scale of these trades suggests someone anticipates a shift in Costco’s stock price.
Benzinga’s options scanner detected 10 unusual options trades for Costco Wholesale, a number that’s far from typical. The sentiment among these big-money traders is mixed, with 30% bullish and 40% bearish. The trades included 3 puts, totaling $208,859, and 7 calls, totaling $244,712.
Based on the volume and open interest of these contracts, it seems that these large investors are targeting a price range of $485.0 to $1340.0 for Costco Wholesale within the next three months.
The average open interest for Costco Wholesale options trades today is 346.4 with a total volume of 113.00. The following chart illustrates the volume and open interest of call and put options for Costco Wholesale’s big money trades within the strike price range of $485.0 to $1340.0 over the past 30 days.
Costco Wholesale Option Volume And Open Interest Over Last 30 Days
Biggest Options Spotted:
| Symbol | PUT/CALL | Trade Type | Sentiment | Exp. Date | Ask | Bid | Price | Strike Price | Total Trade Price | Open Interest | Volume |
|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|
| COST | PUT | TRADE | BEARISH | 01/16/26 | $491.0 | $482.0 | $487.4 | $1340.00 | $146.2K | 0 | 5 |
| COST | CALL | TRADE | BULLISH | 01/17/25 | $48.3 | $47.8 | $48.3 | $900.00 | $48.3K | 1.0K | 12 |
| COST | CALL | TRADE | NEUTRAL | 09/20/24 | $22.3 | $21.6 | $22.0 | $875.00 | $44.0K | 625 | 24 |
| COST | CALL | TRADE | BEARISH | 03/21/25 | $391.0 | $382.15 | $385.7 | $485.00 | $38.5K | 2 | 1 |
| COST | PUT | SWEEP | BEARISH | 10/18/24 | $33.4 | $32.6 | $33.09 | $850.00 | $33.1K | 129 | 10 |
About Costco Wholesale
Costco operates on a membership-based retail model, offering a limited selection of products in bulk quantities at discounted prices. By avoiding costly product displays and storing inventory at the point of sale in their warehouses, Costco limits distribution expenses. This frugal cost structure allows them to price their merchandise lower than competitors, driving high sales volume and generating strong profits on thin margins.
Costco operates over 600 warehouses in the United States, holding over 60% of the domestic warehouse club market share. Internationally, Costco operates another 270 warehouses, primarily in Canada, Mexico, Japan, and the United Kingdom.
Costco Wholesale’s Current Market Status
With a trading volume of 249,086, COST’s stock price is up 0.83% to $862.01. Current RSI values suggest the stock might be approaching overbought territory. Costco’s next earnings report is expected in 45 days.
What The Experts Say On Costco Wholesale
Over the past month, 5 industry analysts have provided their insights on Costco Wholesale, proposing an average target price of $923.4.
* Evercore ISI Group maintains an Outperform rating with a target price of $915.
* Telsey Advisory Group also maintains an Outperform rating with a target price of $925.
* Gordon Haskett upgraded its rating to Buy with a revised price target of $925.
* Deutsche Bank maintained its Buy rating with a price target of $927.
* Oppenheimer persists with its Outperform rating and a target price of $925.
Investing in Options
Options trading carries higher risks and rewards than traditional stock trading. Savvy traders manage these risks through continual education, adapting their strategies, monitoring multiple indicators, and closely watching market movements. Stay updated on the latest Costco Wholesale options trades with real-time alerts from Benzinga Pro.
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