Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) Shares Sold by Patton Fund Management Inc.

Patton Fund Management Inc. trimmed its holdings in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 12.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 6,355 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 891 shares during the period. Patton Fund Management Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $5,823,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Endeavor Private Wealth Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. FSC Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth $41,000. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth $55,000. Finally, Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at $58,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of 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 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 cap 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 stock has a 50 day moving average of $953.78 and a 200-day moving average of $906.03.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 7th will be issued a $1.16 dividend. 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

COST has been the topic of a number of research reports. DA Davidson raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $880.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,145.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $840.00 to $1,040.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Raymond James lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $990.00 to $1,030.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,075.00 price target (up from $980.00) on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average 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.