Sterling Investment Counsel LLC Has $1.25 Million Holdings in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST)

Sterling Investment Counsel LLC cut its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 32.4% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 1,368 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 655 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for 0.8% of Sterling Investment Counsel LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 23rd biggest holding. Sterling Investment Counsel LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $1,254,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. FSC Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth about $41,000. IRON Financial LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 2.8% during the 4th quarter. IRON Financial LLC now owns 622 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $570,000 after acquiring an additional 17 shares during the period. BankPlus Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth about $643,000. S. R. Schill & Associates boosted its position in Costco Wholesale by 8.1% during the 4th quarter. S. R. Schill & Associates now owns 266 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $244,000 after acquiring an additional 20 shares during the period. Finally, Court Place Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.2% during the 4th quarter. Court Place Advisors LLC now owns 1,222 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,120,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $964.02 on Thursday. Costco Wholesale Co. has a 1-year low of $690.80 and a 1-year high of $1,008.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $427.93 billion, a PE ratio of 56.61, a PEG ratio of 5.63 and a beta of 0.84. The business’s 50 day moving average is $953.06 and its 200-day moving average is $905.62. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Stockholders 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 dividend yield of 0.48%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 7th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 27.25%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Evercore ISI raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,019.00 to $1,020.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $935.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $1,100.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. Citigroup raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $800.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 18th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $840.00 to $1,040.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,013.59.

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.