Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) Shares Sold by Jag Capital Management LLC

Jag Capital Management LLC cut its holdings in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 52.7% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 13,179 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 14,698 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises about 1.7% of Jag Capital Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 23rd largest position. Jag Capital Management LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $12,076,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Synergy Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Endeavor Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Collier Financial purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at $35,000. Finally, Barrett & Company Inc. lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 59.3% in the fourth quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 43 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $39,000 after acquiring an additional 16 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 1.0 %

COST stock traded up $10.88 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $1,047.75. 1,819,883 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,835,646. The company has a market capitalization of $465.10 billion, a PE ratio of 61.52, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.15 and a beta of 0.84. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $986.01 and a 200 day simple moving average of $941.00. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. Costco Wholesale Co. has a twelve month low of $697.27 and a twelve month high of $1,078.24.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 7th were issued a dividend of $1.16 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 7th. This represents a $4.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.44%. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.25%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms recently commented on COST. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,145.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. 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 research note on Thursday, December 12th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $1,075.00 price objective (up previously from $980.00) on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Robert W. Baird raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $975.00 to $1,075.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,150.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have given a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,021.93.

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.