Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Shares Up 0.9% – Here’s What Happened

Shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) rose 0.9% on Monday . The stock traded as high as $1,054.65 and last traded at $1,053.66. Approximately 429,561 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 77% from the average daily volume of 1,902,031 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1,043.81.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities analysts have commented on COST shares. Roth Mkm lifted their price target on Costco Wholesale from $755.00 to $907.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,075.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Raymond James upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $990.00 to $1,030.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,021.93.

Costco Wholesale Stock Up 0.6 %

The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The stock has a market cap of $472.81 billion, a P/E ratio of 62.54, a PEG ratio of 6.26 and a beta of 0.84. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $964.53 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $918.45.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 7th will be paid a dividend of $1.16 per share. This represents a $4.64 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 0.44%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, February 7th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 27.25%.

Institutional Trading of Costco Wholesale

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. Synergy Investment Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. NewSquare Capital LLC raised its stake in Costco Wholesale by 250.0% during the 4th quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 35 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 25 shares during the period. Endeavor Private Wealth Inc. purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, Collier Financial bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

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.