Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) Position Lessened by Bristlecone Advisors LLC

Bristlecone Advisors LLC trimmed its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 27,361 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 321 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 2.0% of Bristlecone Advisors LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. Bristlecone Advisors LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $25,070,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of COST. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Endeavor Private Wealth Inc. bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at about $33,000. Barrett & Company Inc. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 59.3% during the fourth quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $39,000 after buying an additional 16 shares in the last quarter. FSC Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at about $41,000. Finally, Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at about $55,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.7 %

Shares of COST opened at $1,061.92 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $471.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 62.36, a P/E/G ratio of 6.26 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. Costco Wholesale Co. has a 12 month low of $697.27 and a 12 month high of $1,063.00. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $961.27 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $915.02.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 7th will be paid a $1.16 dividend. This represents a $4.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.44%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 7th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 27.25%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,075.00 price target (up from $980.00) on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Loop Capital raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,005.00 to $1,095.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Barclays raised their price target 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. Tigress Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $1,065.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. Finally, 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 report on Friday, December 13th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,021.93.

Costco Wholesale 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.