Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) Position Increased by GAMMA Investing LLC

GAMMA Investing LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 15.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 7,662 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 1,001 shares during the quarter. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 0.6% of GAMMA Investing LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 22nd largest position. GAMMA Investing LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $7,020,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. Fairway Wealth LLC grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 230.0% in the 2nd quarter. Fairway Wealth LLC now owns 66 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 46 shares during the last quarter. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the third quarter valued at approximately $58,000. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc raised its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 329.4% during the third quarter. Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc now owns 73 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $65,000 after buying an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Finally, VitalStone Financial LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth approximately $71,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

COST opened at $909.81 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Co. has a 12-month low of $640.51 and a 12-month high of $1,008.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.44, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25. The firm has a market capitalization of $403.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 53.42, a PEG ratio of 6.02 and a beta of 0.82. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $942.87 and a 200-day moving average of $895.94.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, November 1st were given a dividend of $1.16 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 1st. This represents a $4.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.51%. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is presently 27.25%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have weighed in on COST. UBS Group lifted their target price on Costco Wholesale from $840.00 to $1,040.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Stifel Nicolaus lifted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $935.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Morgan Stanley increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,150.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Loop Capital boosted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,005.00 to $1,095.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,050.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Friday, December 13th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,011.74.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In other news, EVP Richard A. Galanti sold 1,416 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $894.68, for a total transaction of $1,266,866.88. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 27,400 shares in the company, valued at $24,514,232. The trade was a 4.91 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, EVP Pierre Riel sold 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $896.71, for a total value of $1,793,420.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 10,210 shares in the company, valued at $9,155,409.10. This represents a 16.38 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 7,816 shares of company stock valued at $6,981,347 in the last 90 days. 0.18% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

About Costco Wholesale

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.