Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) Stock Position Raised by Abbot Financial Management Inc.

Abbot Financial Management Inc. lifted its position in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.9% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 786 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 15 shares during the quarter. Abbot Financial Management Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $668,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the first quarter worth $32,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 557.1% during the second quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. now owns 46 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 39 shares during the last quarter. Vima LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, DSM Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter worth about $36,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ COST opened at $907.87 on Tuesday. Costco Wholesale Co. has a 1-year low of $540.23 and a 1-year high of $923.83. The company has a 50 day moving average of $862.11 and a 200-day moving average of $807.61. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The firm has a market cap of $402.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 56.25, a PEG ratio of 5.56 and a beta of 0.80.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 9th. Shareholders of record on Friday, July 26th were given a $1.16 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 26th. This represents a $4.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.51%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 28.75%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Daniel M. Hines sold 1,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, July 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $844.20, for a total value of $1,266,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 12,492 shares in the company, valued at $10,545,746.40. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In related news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 620 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $876.50, for a total value of $543,430.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 11,775 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,320,787.50. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Daniel M. Hines sold 1,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, July 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $844.20, for a total value of $1,266,300.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 12,492 shares in the company, valued at $10,545,746.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 4,974 shares of company stock valued at $4,252,856. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the subject of several analyst reports. Barclays boosted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $765.00 to $830.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 11th. Tigress Financial raised their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $870.00 to $975.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 25th. Evercore ISI boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $915.00 to $925.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, September 6th. Gordon Haskett raised Costco Wholesale from an “accumulate” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $925.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $925.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, September 6th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $844.52.

Costco Wholesale Company 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.