Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) Position Trimmed by Sigma Investment Counselors Inc.

Sigma Investment Counselors Inc. decreased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 6.9% in the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 14,874 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,100 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises about 0.8% of Sigma Investment Counselors Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 28th biggest holding. Sigma Investment Counselors Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $13,629,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth about $29,000. Endeavor Private Wealth Inc. bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Collier Financial bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Barrett & Company Inc. grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 59.3% during the fourth quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 16 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FSC Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $41,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST stock opened at $1,035.03 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. Costco Wholesale Co. has a one year low of $697.27 and a one year high of $1,078.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $459.45 billion, a PE ratio of 60.78, a P/E/G ratio of 6.15 and a beta of 0.84. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $975.61 and a two-hundred day moving average of $931.39.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 7th were paid a dividend of $1.16 per share. This represents a $4.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.45%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 7th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.25%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms have recently commented on COST. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $975.00 to $1,075.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Evercore ISI restated a “hold” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Oppenheimer restated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,075.00 price target (up previously from $980.00) on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. TD Cowen increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $975.00 to $1,090.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,075.00 to $1,175.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,021.93.

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.