Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) Shares Bought by Milestone Asset Management LLC

Milestone Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 965 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 12 shares during the period. Milestone Asset Management LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $884,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Centaurus Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 19.2% in the 2nd quarter. Centaurus Financial Inc. now owns 5,179 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $4,402,000 after buying an additional 833 shares during the period. Sage Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 14.7% in the second quarter. Sage Advisors LLC now owns 1,100 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $935,000 after acquiring an additional 141 shares during the last quarter. Mattson Financial Services LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the second quarter valued at approximately $2,250,000. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 111.9% during the third quarter. Global Wealth Strategies & Associates now owns 231 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $205,000 after purchasing an additional 122 shares during the last quarter. Finally, First Financial Bank Trust Division raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 16.6% during the 3rd quarter. First Financial Bank Trust Division now owns 352 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $312,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ COST opened at $979.01 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Co. has a 52-week low of $691.50 and a 52-week high of $1,008.25. The stock has a market capitalization of $434.58 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 57.49, a PEG ratio of 5.63 and a beta of 0.84. 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 stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $953.78 and its 200 day simple moving average is $906.03.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts recently commented on COST shares. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,075.00 to $1,175.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Oppenheimer restated an “outperform” rating and set a $1,075.00 price target (up previously from $980.00) on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $935.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Raymond James boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $990.00 to $1,030.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Nine investment 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 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.