New England Research & Management Inc. Has $838,000 Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST)

New England Research & Management Inc. lifted its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 59.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 915 shares of the retailer's stock after buying an additional 340 shares during the period. New England Research & Management Inc.'s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $838,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other large investors have also made changes to their positions in COST. Fermata Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Fermata Advisors LLC now owns 1,968 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,745,000 after buying an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Sculati Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the third quarter. Sculati Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,649 shares of the retailer's stock worth $3,235,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,708 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $3,398,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the period. Gill Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.9% in the fourth quarter. Gill Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,270 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,164,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Scott Capital Advisors LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. Scott Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,348 shares of the retailer's stock worth $1,247,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:COST traded up $6.49 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $985.50. The stock had a trading volume of 151,809 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,832,988. The company's 50-day moving average price is $954.19 and its 200-day moving average price is $906.54. Costco Wholesale Co. has a fifty-two week low of $691.50 and a fifty-two week high of $1,008.25. 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 company has a market capitalization of $437.46 billion, a P/E ratio of 57.87, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.75 and a beta of 0.84.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 7th will be paid a dividend of $1.16 per share. This represents a $4.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.47%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 7th. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is presently 27.25%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on COST shares. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,075.00 to $1,175.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and set a $1,075.00 target price (up previously from $980.00) on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Citigroup increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $800.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 18th. TD Cowen lifted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $975.00 to $1,090.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Roth Mkm increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $755.00 to $907.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,013.59.

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.