Sterling Financial Planning Inc. Sells 502 Shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST)

Sterling Financial Planning Inc. cut its position in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 41.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 712 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 502 shares during the quarter. Sterling Financial Planning Inc.'s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $653,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Endeavor Private Wealth Inc. bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at $33,000. Collier Financial acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth $35,000. Barrett & Company Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 59.3% in the 4th quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 43 shares of the retailer's stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 16 shares during the period. Finally, FSC Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at about $41,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 0.2 %

Shares of COST stock traded down $2.00 during trading on Friday, hitting $1,032.83. 1,111,663 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,883,502. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a current ratio of 0.98. The firm has a market capitalization of $458.47 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 60.66, a P/E/G ratio of 6.32 and a beta of 0.84. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $974.70 and its 200 day simple moving average is $928.97. Costco Wholesale Co. has a twelve month low of $697.27 and a twelve month high of $1,078.23.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Investors of record on Friday, February 7th will be issued a dividend of $1.16 per share. This represents a $4.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.45%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 7th. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is currently 27.25%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

COST has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an "outperform" rating and set a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company raised 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 note on Friday, December 13th. Roth Mkm raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $755.00 to $907.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,145.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Finally, 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. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale 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.