Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) Shares Sold by Somerset Trust Co

Somerset Trust Co trimmed its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 4.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,963 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 293 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for approximately 2.1% of Somerset Trust Co’s holdings, making the stock its 12th biggest position. Somerset Trust Co’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $5,464,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at $29,000. Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel Inc. acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at about $58,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth about $58,000. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 329.4% in the 3rd quarter. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc now owns 73 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $65,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the period. Finally, VitalStone Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $71,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Richard A. Galanti sold 1,416 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $894.68, for a total transaction of $1,266,866.88. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 27,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,514,232. This trade represents a 4.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $943.19 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Co. has a 52 week low of $675.96 and a 52 week high of $1,008.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a current ratio of 0.98. The company has a market capitalization of $418.68 billion, a PE ratio of 55.38, a PEG ratio of 5.60 and a beta of 0.84. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $949.82 and its 200 day moving average price is $901.17.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $935.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. TD Cowen lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $975.00 to $1,090.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Costco Wholesale from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, September 27th. Finally, Raymond James raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $990.00 to $1,030.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,013.59.

About Costco Wholesale

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.