ICICI Prudential Asset Management Co Ltd Reduces Stock Holdings in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST)

ICICI Prudential Asset Management Co Ltd lessened its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 0.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 5,769 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 18 shares during the period. ICICI Prudential Asset Management Co Ltd’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $5,286,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at $29,000. Endeavor Private Wealth Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter valued at about $33,000. Collier Financial purchased a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Barrett & Company Inc. increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 59.3% in the 4th quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $39,000 after purchasing an additional 16 shares in the last quarter. Finally, FSC Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth about $41,000. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.6 %

NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,062.54 on Thursday. Costco Wholesale Co. has a 12-month low of $697.27 and a 12-month high of $1,078.23. The firm has a market cap of $471.66 billion, a PE ratio of 62.39, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.37 and a beta of 0.84. 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 fifty day moving average price of $973.78 and a 200 day moving average price of $928.24.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 7th will be paid a $1.16 dividend. 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 payout ratio is presently 27.25%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have commented on COST shares. Citigroup raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $800.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 18th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,075.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,150.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. TD Cowen lifted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $975.00 to $1,090.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $975.00 to $1,075.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,021.93.

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.