Astoria Portfolio Advisors LLC. Sells 505 Shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST)

Astoria Portfolio Advisors LLC. lowered its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 37.9% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 826 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 505 shares during the period. Astoria Portfolio Advisors LLC.'s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $757,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at about $29,000. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at about $55,000. Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel Inc. bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at about $58,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth approximately $58,000. Finally, Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 329.4% during the third quarter. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc now owns 73 shares of the retailer's stock worth $65,000 after acquiring an additional 56 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 2.5 %

COST stock traded up $23.44 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $943.19. 2,367,034 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 1,832,091. 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 firm's 50 day moving average price is $949.82 and its 200 day moving average price is $901.74. The stock has a market cap of $418.68 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 55.38, a P/E/G ratio of 5.60 and a beta of 0.84. Costco Wholesale Co. has a fifty-two week low of $675.96 and a fifty-two week high of $1,008.25.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently weighed in on COST. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,075.00 to $1,175.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $975.00 to $1,090.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $935.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Barclays lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $850.00 to $940.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,019.00 to $1,020.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,013.59.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Richard A. Galanti sold 1,416 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the executive vice president now owns 27,400 shares in the company, valued at $24,514,232. This represents a 4.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Corporate 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.