Hudson Value Partners LLC Has $7.79 Million Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST)

Hudson Value Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 5.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 8,501 shares of the retailer's stock after purchasing an additional 455 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for approximately 2.9% of Hudson Value Partners LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Hudson Value Partners LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $7,789,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Endeavor Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth approximately $33,000. Collier Financial bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Barrett & Company Inc. grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 59.3% in the 4th quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 43 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 16 shares during the period. FSC Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $41,000. Finally, Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth $55,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Trading Down 0.1 %

Shares of NASDAQ COST traded down $1.18 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $974.31. 935,801 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,027,604. The company's 50-day moving average is $968.04 and its 200-day moving average is $954.92. Costco Wholesale Co. has a 52-week low of $714.41 and a 52-week high of $1,078.24. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $432.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 57.20, a PEG ratio of 6.15 and a beta of 0.95.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 6th. The retailer reported $4.02 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $4.09 by ($0.07). The company had revenue of $63.72 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $63.02 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 32.31% and a net margin of 2.93%. Analysts expect that Costco Wholesale Co. will post 18.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 16th. Investors of record on Friday, May 2nd will be given a $1.30 dividend. This represents a $5.20 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.53%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 2nd. This is a boost from Costco Wholesale's previous quarterly dividend of $1.16. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is 30.36%.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Claudine Adamo sold 900 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $922.56, for a total value of $830,304.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 6,987 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,445,926.72. This represents a 11.41 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Roland Michael Vachris sold 3,600 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $931.00, for a total transaction of $3,351,600.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 41,077 shares in the company, valued at $38,242,687. The trade was a 8.06 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 9,600 shares of company stock worth $9,140,195 over the last 90 days. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on COST shares. Cfra Research upgraded Costco Wholesale from a "hold" rating to a "moderate buy" rating in a research note on Friday, April 4th. Mizuho started coverage on Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, April 11th. They set a "neutral" rating and a $975.00 price target for the company. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, March 7th. Barclays upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $940.00 to $980.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Finally, DA Davidson boosted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $900.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-one have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,024.03.

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.