Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) Shares Sold by WR Wealth Planners LLC

WR Wealth Planners LLC cut its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 13.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 188 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 30 shares during the quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $173,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the stock. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Endeavor Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Collier Financial acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Barrett & Company Inc. boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 59.3% in the fourth quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 16 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FSC Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $1,048.61 on Friday. The business’s 50 day moving average is $982.51 and its two-hundred day moving average is $938.10. Costco Wholesale Co. has a 52-week low of $697.27 and a 52-week high of $1,078.23. The firm has a market cap of $465.48 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 61.57, a PEG ratio of 6.15 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a quick ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 7th were issued a $1.16 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 7th. This represents a $4.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.44%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.25%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently weighed in on COST. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, February 14th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,075.00 to $1,175.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Morgan Stanley increased 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. Loop Capital increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,005.00 to $1,095.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, TD Cowen increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $975.00 to $1,090.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,021.93.

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.