Does Costco Own Sam’s Club?

Last Updated on 02/08/2021 by GS Staff

No, Costco does not own Sam’s Club. Costco and Sam’s Club are two separate companies that compete for customers in the membership warehouse business.

Costco

Costco is a publicly-traded company that is owned by its shareholders. It trades on the Nasdaq under the stock symbol COST.

Some of the top institutional shareholders include The Vanguard Group, BlackRock, and State Street Corporation. These companies owned approximately 19 percent of the shares outstanding at the time of this article.

Interestingly, Billionaire investor Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway sold its $1.3 billion stake in Costco in June 2020. Berkshire had been an investor in Costco since 1999. The company grew its shares from 355,000 worth $32 million to 4.3 million shares worth $1.3 billion when it sold, according to Business Insider.

Sam’s Club

Sam’s Club is owned by Walmart. Walmart is a public company owned by shareholders. It trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol WMT. The Vanguard Group, Blackrock, and State Street Corporation are also major institutional holders of Walmart shares. These companies owned about 10 percent of the outstanding shares at the time of this article.


Featured Images – Mike Mozart/flickr (Costco, Sam’s Club)