Investors with a lot of money to spend have taken a bearish stance on Costco Wholesale COST.
And retail traders should know.
We noticed this today when the trades showed up on publicly available options history that we track here at Benzinga.
Whether these are institutions or just wealthy individuals, we don't know. But when something this big happens with COST, it often means somebody knows something is about to happen.
So how do we know what these investors just did?
Today, Benzinga's options scanner spotted 19 uncommon options trades for Costco Wholesale.
This isn't normal.
The overall sentiment of these big-money traders is split between 26% bullish and 57%, bearish.
Out of all of the special options we uncovered, 4 are puts, for a total amount of $185,541, and 15 are calls, for a total amount of $1,192,636.
Expected Price Movements
Analyzing the Volume and Open Interest in these contracts, it seems that the big players have been eyeing a price window from $600.0 to $1460.0 for Costco Wholesale during the past quarter.
Analyzing Volume & Open Interest
Looking at the volume and open interest is a powerful move while trading options. This data can help you track the liquidity and interest for Costco Wholesale's options for a given strike price. Below, we can observe the evolution of the volume and open interest of calls and puts, respectively, for all of Costco Wholesale's whale trades within a strike price range from $600.0 to $1460.0 in the last 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 | CALL | TRADE | BULLISH | 01/16/26 | $139.6 | $138.05 | $139.6 | $875.00 | $279.2K | 323 | 20 |
| COST | CALL | TRADE | BEARISH | 01/15/27 | $86.95 | $82.0 | $83.79 | $1100.00 | $192.7K | 220 | 25 |
| COST | CALL | TRADE | BEARISH | 01/15/27 | $86.95 | $82.0 | $83.77 | $1100.00 | $167.5K | 220 | 25 |
| COST | CALL | SWEEP | BEARISH | 09/19/25 | $80.15 | $79.25 | $80.15 | $940.00 | $72.0K | 18 | 1 |
| COST | CALL | TRADE | BULLISH | 01/15/27 | $179.0 | $174.7 | $179.0 | $900.00 | $71.6K | 144 | 7 |
About Costco Wholesale
Costco operates a membership-based, no-frills retail model, predicated on offering a select product assortment in bulk quantities at bargain prices. The firm avoids maintaining costly product displays by keeping inventory on pallets and limits distribution expenses by storing its inventory at point of sale in the warehouse. Given Costco's frugal cost structure, the firm is able to price its merchandise below competing retailers, driving high sales volume per warehouse and allowing the retailer to generate strong profits on thin margins. Costco operates over 600 warehouses in the United States and boasts over 60% market share in the domestic warehouse club industry. Internationally, Costco operates another 280 warehouses, primarily in markets such as Canada, Mexico, Japan, and the UK.
In light of the recent options history for Costco Wholesale, it's now appropriate to focus on the company itself. We aim to explore its current performance.
Costco Wholesale's Current Market Status
- Trading volume stands at 366,190, with COST's price down by -0.18%, positioned at $940.46.
- RSI indicators show the stock to be is currently neutral between overbought and oversold.
- Earnings announcement expected in 41 days.
What Analysts Are Saying About Costco Wholesale
A total of 2 professional analysts have given their take on this stock in the last 30 days, setting an average price target of $1100.0.
Unusual Options Activity Detected: Smart Money on the Move
Benzinga Edge's Unusual Options board spots potential market movers before they happen. See what positions big money is taking on your favorite stocks. Click here for access. * An analyst from Telsey Advisory Group persists with their Outperform rating on Costco Wholesale, maintaining a target price of $1100. * Consistent in their evaluation, an analyst from Telsey Advisory Group keeps a Outperform rating on Costco Wholesale with a target price of $1100.
Options are a riskier asset compared to just trading the stock, but they have higher profit potential. Serious options traders manage this risk by educating themselves daily, scaling in and out of trades, following more than one indicator, and following the markets closely.
If you want to stay updated on the latest options trades for Costco Wholesale, Benzinga Pro gives you real-time options trades alerts.
© 2025 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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