Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) Holdings Cut by Buffington Mohr McNeal

Buffington Mohr McNeal reduced its position in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 0.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 35,038 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 299 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up about 5.3% of Buffington Mohr McNeal’s holdings, making the stock its 2nd biggest holding. Buffington Mohr McNeal’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $32,104,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Fermata Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.6% during the third quarter. Fermata Advisors LLC now owns 1,968 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,745,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the period. Sculati Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Sculati Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,649 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,235,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,708 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,398,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Gill Capital Partners LLC boosted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Gill Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,270 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,164,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. Finally, Scott Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Scott Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,348 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,247,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on COST. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,145.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Tigress Financial reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $1,065.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $800.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 18th. Finally, DA Davidson boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $880.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,013.59.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $958.67 on Wednesday. Costco Wholesale Co. has a fifty-two week low of $686.26 and a fifty-two week high of $1,008.25. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $952.49 and its 200-day simple moving average is $904.81. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.43. The company has a market cap of $425.55 billion, a P/E ratio of 56.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.63 and a beta of 0.84.

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 dividend of $1.16 per share. This represents a $4.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.48%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 7th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 27.25%.

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.