Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) Shares Sold by MKT Advisors LLC

MKT Advisors LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 2.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 2,224 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 64 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up 0.9% of MKT Advisors LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 15th largest position. MKT Advisors LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $2,098,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Sunbelt Securities Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.1% in the second quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 6,172 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $5,246,000 after buying an additional 186 shares during the last quarter. Invst LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 6.5% in the second quarter. Invst LLC now owns 3,581 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,028,000 after buying an additional 219 shares during the last quarter. Gateway Wealth Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 5.8% in the second quarter. Gateway Wealth Partners LLC now owns 802 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $682,000 after buying an additional 44 shares during the last quarter. Kimelman & Baird LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter worth about $55,508,000. Finally, HWG Holdings LP purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter worth about $4,728,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST stock opened at $965.25 on Tuesday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $951.57 and a two-hundred day moving average of $903.97. The company has a quick ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The stock has a market cap of $428.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 56.68, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.63 and a beta of 0.84. Costco Wholesale Co. has a 52-week low of $686.26 and a 52-week high of $1,008.25.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 7th will be paid a dividend of $1.16 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 7th. This represents a $4.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.48%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.25%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages have recently commented on COST. UBS Group upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $840.00 to $1,040.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $935.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Finally, Evercore ISI increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,019.00 to $1,020.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock 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.