Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) Holdings Raised by Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc.

Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 3.8% during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 72,264 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 2,646 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 1.1% of Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 10th biggest holding. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $61,423,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 1st quarter worth $32,000. Financial Connections Group Inc. grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 557.1% during the 2nd quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. now owns 46 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares in the last quarter. Vima LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth $34,000. Finally, DSM Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth $36,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.9 %

Shares of NASDAQ:COST opened at $900.74 on Friday. The company has a 50 day moving average of $863.57 and a 200-day moving average of $809.87. The firm has a market cap of $399.33 billion, a P/E ratio of 55.81, a P/E/G ratio of 5.56 and a beta of 0.80. Costco Wholesale Co. has a twelve month low of $540.23 and a twelve month high of $923.83. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.45 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 9th. Investors of record on Friday, July 26th were paid a dividend of $1.16 per share. This represents a $4.64 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.52%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 26th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.75%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on COST shares. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $765.00 to $830.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 11th. TD Cowen raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $850.00 to $925.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, July 12th. Oppenheimer lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $925.00 to $955.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, September 6th. Tigress Financial lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $870.00 to $975.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 25th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $775.00 to $800.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Thursday, July 11th. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $844.52.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In related news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 620 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $876.50, for a total transaction of $543,430.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 11,775 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,320,787.50. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 620 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $876.50, for a total transaction of $543,430.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 11,775 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,320,787.50. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, insider Daniel M. Hines sold 1,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, July 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $844.20, for a total transaction of $1,266,300.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 12,492 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $10,545,746.40. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 4,974 shares of company stock valued at $4,252,856 over the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.18% 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.