HB Wealth Management LLC Boosts Holdings in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST)

HB Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 8.4% 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 20,491 shares of the retailer's stock after acquiring an additional 1,590 shares during the period. HB Wealth Management LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $18,776,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Financial & Tax Architects LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 7.5% during the 4th quarter. Financial & Tax Architects LLC now owns 1,745 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,599,000 after acquiring an additional 122 shares during the period. Cherrydale Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 18.2% in the 4th quarter. Cherrydale Wealth Management LLC now owns 357 shares of the retailer's stock worth $327,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the period. Gill Capital Partners LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Gill Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,270 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,164,000 after buying an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Premier Path Wealth Partners LLC grew its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Premier Path Wealth Partners LLC now owns 3,436 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,148,000 after acquiring an additional 29 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Howard Financial Services LTD. raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 3.6% during the fourth quarter. Howard Financial Services LTD. now owns 897 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $822,000 after acquiring an additional 31 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts recently issued reports on COST shares. DA Davidson increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $880.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Telsey Advisory Group restated an "outperform" rating and issued a $1,100.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Thursday, January 9th. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $800.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a report on Wednesday, December 18th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,150.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $975.00 to $1,075.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. 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 data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,013.59.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST traded up $23.44 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $943.19. The company had a trading volume of 2,367,034 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,832,091. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $949.82 and a two-hundred day moving average of $901.47. 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 stock has a market capitalization 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 52-week low of $675.96 and a 52-week high of $1,008.25.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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 completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 27,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,514,232. This represents a 4.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.18% of the company's stock.

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.