Realta Investment Advisors Sells 42 Shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST)

Realta Investment Advisors reduced its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 3,591 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 42 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale makes up about 1.4% of Realta Investment Advisors’ portfolio, making the stock its 14th biggest holding. Realta Investment Advisors’ holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $3,291,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in COST. Triasima Portfolio Management inc. acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at $3,242,000. Golden State Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth about $3,728,000. SMART Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 16.2% during the 4th quarter. SMART Wealth LLC now owns 733 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $672,000 after buying an additional 102 shares during the period. Prairie Wealth Advisors Inc. grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 8.7% in the 4th quarter. Prairie Wealth Advisors Inc. now owns 1,024 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $938,000 after buying an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fairvoy Private Wealth LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at about $4,055,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,043.81 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $959.83 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $912.64. The firm has a market capitalization of $463.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 61.29, a P/E/G ratio of 5.84 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.43. Costco Wholesale Co. has a fifty-two week low of $697.27 and a fifty-two week high of $1,063.00.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Investors of record on Friday, February 7th will be given a dividend of $1.16 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 7th. This represents a $4.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.44%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is currently 27.25%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently commented on the company. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,075.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Barclays upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $850.00 to $940.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Sanford C. Bernstein initiated coverage on Costco Wholesale in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $1,016.00 target price for the company. Evercore ISI upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,040.00 to $1,070.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target 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.