Define Financial LLC Acquires New Stake in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST)

Define Financial LLC bought a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 336 shares of the retailer's stock, valued at approximately $308,000. Costco Wholesale makes up approximately 0.2% of Define Financial LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest position.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

COST has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. UBS Group upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $840.00 to $1,040.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Telsey Advisory Group restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, January 9th. Barclays increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $850.00 to $940.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Roth Mkm upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $755.00 to $907.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have issued a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,013.59.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST stock opened at $923.50 on Thursday. Costco Wholesale Co. has a 12-month low of $675.96 and a 12-month high of $1,008.25. The company has a market cap of $409.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.23, a PEG ratio of 5.60 and a beta of 0.84. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $949.23 and a 200-day moving average of $900.20. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Richard A. Galanti sold 1,416 shares of the company's 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 sale, the executive vice president now owns 27,400 shares of the company's stock, 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 Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.18% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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.