Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) Shares Sold by Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas

Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas decreased its position in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 15.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 46,898 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 8,873 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 2.5% of Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas’ portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest holding. Smith Chas P & Associates PA Cpas’ holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $42,971,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. AlphaMark Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 85.2% in the 4th quarter. AlphaMark Advisors LLC now owns 250 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $229,000 after buying an additional 115 shares in the last quarter. Moody Lynn & Lieberson LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.5% in the fourth quarter. Moody Lynn & Lieberson LLC now owns 3,773 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,457,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Jacksonville Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $394,000. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.3% during the 4th quarter. Flagship Harbor Advisors LLC now owns 7,050 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $6,460,000 after purchasing an additional 597 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Insight Inv LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 21.2% during the 4th quarter. Insight Inv LLC now owns 714 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $654,000 after purchasing an additional 125 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST stock opened at $939.68 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $417.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 55.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.63 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a current ratio of 0.98. Costco Wholesale Co. has a 1 year low of $675.96 and a 1 year high of $1,008.25. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $951.57 and a 200-day simple moving average of $903.84.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 7th will be given a $1.16 dividend. This represents a $4.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.49%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 7th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.25%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have weighed in on COST. DA Davidson raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $880.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, January 9th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $935.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Loop Capital lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,005.00 to $1,095.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,013.59.

Costco Wholesale Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the operation of membership warehouses in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Japan, the United Kingdom, Korea, Australia, Taiwan, China, Spain, France, Iceland, New Zealand, and Sweden. The company offers branded and private-label products in a range of merchandise categories.