Argent Capital Management LLC Lowers Holdings in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST)

Argent Capital Management LLC reduced its stake in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 14.0% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,705 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 440 shares during the period. Argent Capital Management LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $2,479,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth approximately $58,000. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 329.4% in the 3rd quarter. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc now owns 73 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $65,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the period. VitalStone Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter valued at $71,000. Finally, Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 20.8% in the 3rd quarter. Iron Horse Wealth Management LLC now owns 87 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $77,000 after purchasing an additional 15 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST stock traded up $23.44 on Friday, reaching $943.19. The company had a trading volume of 2,348,571 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,824,019. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a current ratio of 0.98. The company's fifty day moving average is $949.84 and its 200 day moving average is $900.50. The company has a market cap of $418.68 billion, a P/E ratio of 55.38, a PEG ratio of 5.60 and a beta of 0.84. Costco Wholesale Co. has a 1 year low of $675.96 and a 1 year high of $1,008.25.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $876.00 to $995.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, September 27th. Melius Research initiated coverage on Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, September 23rd. They set a "hold" rating and a $950.00 price target on the stock. UBS Group upped 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. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on 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. Finally, DA Davidson increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $880.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,013.59.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Richard A. Galanti sold 1,416 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $894.68, for a total value of $1,266,866.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 27,400 shares of the company's stock, valued at $24,514,232. The trade was a 4.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Company insiders own 0.18% of the company's stock.

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.