Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) Stake Trimmed by CWA Asset Management Group LLC

CWA Asset Management Group LLC cut its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 37,287 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 392 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for approximately 1.7% of CWA Asset Management Group LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest holding. CWA Asset Management Group LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $34,165,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in COST. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $58,000. Fairway Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 230.0% in the 2nd quarter. Fairway Wealth LLC now owns 66 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $56,000 after buying an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc lifted its position in Costco Wholesale by 329.4% during the third quarter. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc now owns 73 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $65,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the period. Finally, VitalStone Financial LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $71,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 0.4 %

NASDAQ:COST traded up $3.59 on Monday, hitting $920.17. 463,332 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,247,488. The company has a current ratio of 0.97, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The company has a market cap of $408.46 billion, a PE ratio of 54.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.02 and a beta of 0.84. Costco Wholesale Co. has a 1 year low of $654.03 and a 1 year high of $1,008.25. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $943.38 and a 200-day moving average price of $896.64.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, November 1st were issued a $1.16 dividend. This represents a $4.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.50%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 1st. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 27.25%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

COST has been the subject of several research reports. TD Cowen upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $975.00 to $1,090.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Roth Mkm lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $755.00 to $907.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,075.00 price target (up previously from $980.00) on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein started coverage on Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $1,016.00 target price on the stock. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,013.59.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 4,400 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, October 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $891.15, for a total transaction of $3,921,060.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 10,202 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,091,512.30. This represents a 30.13 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Richard A. Galanti sold 1,416 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $894.68, for a total value of $1,266,866.88. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 27,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $24,514,232. This trade represents a 4.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 7,816 shares of company stock valued at $6,981,347. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.