Arthur M. Cohen & Associates LLC Sells 3,151 Shares of Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST

Key Points

• Arthur M. Cohen & Associates LLC has reduced its stake in Costco Wholesale by 16.5%, holding now 15,971 shares valued at approximately $15.81 million.
• Wall Street analysts have maintained a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" for Costco's stock, with a target price range reflecting significant growth potential.
• Costco recently announced a quarterly dividend of $1.30, translating to an annualized yield of 0.5% with a payout ratio of 29.50%.

Arthur M. Cohen & Associates LLC lowered its stake in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST - Free Report) by 16.5% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 15,971 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 3,151 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale accounts for 2.8% of Arthur M. Cohen & Associates LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 12th largest position. Arthur M. Cohen & Associates LLC's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $15,810,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of COST. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 12.3% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 19,825 shares of the retailer's stock worth $18,165,000 after purchasing an additional 2,172 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 13.1% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $1,029,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares during the last quarter. Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG boosted its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 45.0% during the fourth quarter. Bank Pictet & Cie Europe AG now owns 117,254 shares of the retailer's stock worth $107,436,000 after buying an additional 36,384 shares in the last quarter. Pinney & Scofield Inc. purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth $334,000. Finally, GF Fund Management CO. LTD. purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth $88,293,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Costco Wholesale stock traded down $1.20 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $951.16. The company's stock had a trading volume of 4,601,598 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,990,076. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $957.97 and its 200-day moving average price is $971.32. The company has a market capitalization of $421.82 billion, a PE ratio of 53.95, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.34 and a beta of 0.97. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 12 month low of $867.16 and a 12 month high of $1,078.23. The company has a quick ratio of 0.52, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.21.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 15th. Stockholders 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.5%. Costco Wholesale's payout ratio is 29.50%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on COST shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Costco Wholesale from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, June 6th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $1,035.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday, May 29th. Wolfe Research started coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Thursday. They set a "peer perform" rating on the stock. Evercore ISI reduced 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. Finally, Loop Capital reduced their target price 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. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and ten have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $1,056.67.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 600 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $992.05, for a total transaction of $595,230.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 2,362 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,343,222.10. This represents a 20.26% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Yoram Rubanenko sold 4,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 5,774 shares in the company, valued at $5,629,419.04. This trade represents a 40.92% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.18% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.