Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NC Sells 831 Shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST)

Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NC trimmed its position in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 3.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 22,796 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 831 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises 1.4% of Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 25th biggest position. Franklin Street Advisors Inc. NC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $20,887,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hilltop National Bank grew its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.9% in the 4th quarter. Hilltop National Bank now owns 3,328 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,049,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 123,965 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $109,899,000 after acquiring an additional 973 shares during the period. Avondale Wealth Management grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 326.9% during the 4th quarter. Avondale Wealth Management now owns 333 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $305,000 after acquiring an additional 255 shares during the period. ORG Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 48.0% during the 4th quarter. ORG Partners LLC now owns 3,415 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,135,000 after buying an additional 1,108 shares in the last quarter. Finally, First International Bank & Trust lifted its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 59.3% during the 4th quarter. First International Bank & Trust now owns 1,330 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,219,000 after buying an additional 495 shares in the last quarter. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Trading Up 0.3 %

NASDAQ COST traded up $2.96 during trading on Friday, hitting $930.33. The stock had a trading volume of 1,098,494 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,678,929. Costco Wholesale Co. has a twelve month low of $667.64 and a twelve month high of $1,008.25. The company has a market capitalization of $412.97 billion, a PE ratio of 54.63, a PEG ratio of 6.02 and a beta of 0.84. 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 50 day moving average price of $946.73 and a 200 day moving average price of $897.99.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, November 15th. Investors of record on Friday, November 1st were issued a $1.16 dividend. This represents a $4.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.50%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, November 1st. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 27.25%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have issued reports on COST shares. Citigroup increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $800.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 18th. Roth Mkm increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $755.00 to $907.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $909.00 to $935.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Tigress Financial restated a “buy” rating and set a $1,065.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Thursday, October 17th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein began coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, October 22nd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $1,016.00 price objective on the stock. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,013.59.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

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