Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) Shares Sold by Heartland Bank & Trust Co

Heartland Bank & Trust Co trimmed its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 2.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,056 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 30 shares during the quarter. Heartland Bank & Trust Co’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $968,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Truist Financial Corp grew its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% during the 2nd quarter. Truist Financial Corp now owns 316,993 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $269,441,000 after purchasing an additional 3,526 shares during the period. IMS Capital Management lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 7.1% during the 2nd quarter. IMS Capital Management now owns 3,794 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,324,000 after acquiring an additional 252 shares during the period. Ted Buchan & Co acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,677,000. 3Chopt Investment Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter worth $446,000. Finally, Aldebaran Financial Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at $212,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $958.67 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $952.49 and a 200-day moving average of $904.81. The stock 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 Co. has a 52 week low of $686.26 and a 52 week high of $1,008.25.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Robert W. Baird raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $975.00 to $1,075.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Tigress Financial restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,065.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, October 17th. TD Cowen upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $975.00 to $1,090.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Raymond James increased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $990.00 to $1,030.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note 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 company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,013.59.

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.