Vest Financial LLC Has $2 Million Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST)

Vest Financial LLC boosted its position in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 8.5% in the fourth quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor owned 2,180 shares of the retailer’s stock after acquiring an additional 171 shares during the quarter. Vest Financial LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $1,997,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in COST. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth approximately $29,000. Endeavor Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth $33,000. Barrett & Company Inc. lifted its stake 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 buying an additional 16 shares in the last quarter. FSC Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $41,000. Finally, Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth about $55,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have issued reports on COST. Roth Mkm lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $755.00 to $907.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Raymond James upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $990.00 to $1,030.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. UBS Group lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $840.00 to $1,040.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of 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. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,021.93.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST stock opened at $1,043.81 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $961.27 and a 200-day moving average of $914.00. The firm has a market capitalization of $463.35 billion, a P/E ratio of 61.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.26 and a beta of 0.84. Costco Wholesale Co. has a 12 month low of $697.27 and a 12 month high of $1,063.00. 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 Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 7th will be given a dividend of $1.16 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is 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 currently 27.25%.

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.