Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) Shares Sold by Liberty Capital Management Inc.

Liberty Capital Management Inc. lessened its holdings in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 0.7% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 16,184 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 117 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for about 3.3% of Liberty Capital Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest position. Liberty Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $14,829,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. AMF Tjanstepension AB purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at $42,896,000. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 14.2% in the 3rd quarter. Armstrong Advisory Group Inc. now owns 1,004 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $890,000 after buying an additional 125 shares during the period. Affiance Financial LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 12.0% in the third quarter. Affiance Financial LLC now owns 651 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $578,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Thomasville National Bank grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 12.7% during the third quarter. Thomasville National Bank now owns 816 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $723,000 after acquiring an additional 92 shares during the period. Finally, VitalStone Financial LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $71,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.7 %

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,061.92 on Tuesday. Costco Wholesale Co. has a 52-week low of $697.27 and a 52-week high of $1,063.00. The company has a quick ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The business has a fifty day moving average of $961.27 and a two-hundred day moving average of $915.02. The stock has a market cap of $471.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 62.36, a PEG ratio of 6.26 and a beta of 0.84.

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. This represents a $4.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.44%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 7th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is currently 27.25%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. BMO Capital Markets boosted 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 note on Friday, December 13th. Robert W. Baird upped 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 report on Thursday, December 5th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,145.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Loop Capital increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,005.00 to $1,095.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, February 3rd. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,021.93.

Costco Wholesale Company 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.