Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) Shares Sold by Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC

Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC cut its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 11.6% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 471 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 62 shares during the period. Foster Victor Wealth Advisors LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $445,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of COST. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth about $29,000. Endeavor Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. FSC Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at $55,000. Finally, Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter worth $58,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 1.6 %

Shares of COST opened at $979.01 on Friday. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $953.78 and its 200 day simple moving average is $906.03. Costco Wholesale Co. has a twelve month low of $691.50 and a twelve month high of $1,008.25. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $434.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 57.49, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.63 and a beta of 0.84.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced 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. This represents a $4.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.47%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 7th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.25%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Robert W. Baird increased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $975.00 to $1,075.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target 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. Barclays upped their target price on Costco Wholesale from $850.00 to $940.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, TD Cowen raised their price target 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. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,013.59.

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.