Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Amundi

Key Points

• Amundi has reduced its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation by 13.2%, now holding approximately 1,996,162 shares worth around $1.93 billion.
• Several institutional investors have made recent adjustments to their positions in Costco, with 68.48% of the company's stock now owned by such entities.
• Costco's stock is currently rated as a "Moderate Buy" with a consensus price target of $1,050, according to multiple analysts.

Amundi trimmed its holdings in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 13.2% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,996,162 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 303,373 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for approximately 0.7% of Amundi's investment portfolio, making the stock its 17th biggest holding. Amundi owned 0.45% of Costco Wholesale worth $1,930,448,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in COST. Investment Management Corp VA ADV purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter valued at $25,000. Aspect Partners LLC boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 24.4% during the 1st quarter. Aspect Partners LLC now owns 56 shares of the retailer's stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Capital A Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth about $58,000. Mascagni Wealth Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth about $59,000. Finally, Bank & Trust Co boosted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 20.4% during the 1st quarter. Bank & Trust Co now owns 65 shares of the retailer's stock worth $61,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Transactions at Costco Wholesale

In other Costco Wholesale news, EVP Patrick J. Callans sold 3,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,002.77, for a total value of $3,008,310.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 58,543 shares of the company's stock, valued at $58,705,164.11. The trade was a 4.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Yoram Rubanenko sold 4,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $974.96, for a total value of $3,899,840.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 5,774 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,629,419.04. The trade was a 40.92% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 8,147 shares of company stock worth $8,039,440 in the last ninety days. 0.18% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.8%

Shares of COST stock traded up $7.58 during trading on Friday, hitting $963.48. 1,926,561 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,013,209. The firm has a market capitalization of $427.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 54.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.36 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.52. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $962.23 and its 200-day moving average price is $977.68. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $867.16 and a 52-week high of $1,078.23.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, August 1st were given a $1.30 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, August 1st. This represents a $5.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is presently 29.50%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have recently issued reports on COST. Stifel Nicolaus set a $1,035.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. Loop Capital decreased their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,115.00 to $1,110.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. Erste Group Bank lowered shares of Costco Wholesale from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Tuesday, August 5th. Telsey Advisory Group reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, August 27th. Finally, Evercore ISI decreased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,075.00 to $1,060.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, June 17th. Seventeen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $1,050.00.

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.