CKW Financial Group Has $975,000 Stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• CKW Financial Group has reduced its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation by 57.6%, now holding 1,022 shares valued at approximately $975,000.
• Several brokerages have adjusted their price targets for Costco, with Morgan Stanley raising its target from $1,150 to $1,225, indicating a positive outlook on the stock.
• Costco recently announced a quarterly dividend of $1.30 per share, reflecting an annualized yield of 0.5% and a payout ratio of 29.50%.

CKW Financial Group trimmed its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 57.6% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,022 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 1,388 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale makes up about 0.1% of CKW Financial Group's investment portfolio, making the stock its 21st biggest position. CKW Financial Group's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $975,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of COST. Investment Management Corp VA ADV acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Aspect Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 24.4% during the first quarter. Aspect Partners LLC now owns 56 shares of the retailer's stock worth $53,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Capital A Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth approximately $58,000. Mascagni Wealth Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth approximately $59,000. Finally, Bank & Trust Co raised its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 20.4% during the first quarter. Bank & Trust Co now owns 65 shares of the retailer's stock worth $61,000 after buying an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several brokerages have commented 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 lowered their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,115.00 to $1,110.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. Telsey Advisory Group reaffirmed an "outperform" rating and issued a $1,100.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Wednesday, August 27th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,150.00 to $1,225.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 30th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,115.00 to $1,160.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, August 7th. Seventeen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $1,050.00.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of COST opened at $963.48 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $867.16 and a 12 month high of $1,078.23. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $962.23 and a 200 day simple moving average of $977.09. The stock has a market capitalization of $427.28 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.65, a PEG ratio of 5.40 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 547 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $980.00, for a total transaction of $536,060.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 11,531 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,300,380. This represents a 4.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Yoram Rubanenko sold 4,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, July 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $974.96, for a total transaction of $3,899,840.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 5,774 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,629,419.04. The trade was a 40.92% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 8,147 shares of company stock worth $8,039,440. Company insiders own 0.18% of the company's stock.

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.

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