Kentucky Retirement Systems Cuts Stock Position in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST)

Kentucky Retirement Systems lessened its holdings in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 1.4% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 30,465 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 420 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale comprises approximately 0.8% of Kentucky Retirement Systems’ holdings, making the stock its 17th biggest holding. Kentucky Retirement Systems’ holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $27,914,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.2% during the 3rd quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 2,808,255 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,489,574,000 after purchasing an additional 32,074 shares in the last quarter. Hudson Value Partners LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 7.6% during the 3rd quarter. Hudson Value Partners LLC now owns 8,046 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $7,133,000 after purchasing an additional 568 shares in the last quarter. Nwam LLC acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at $20,056,000. CHURCHILL MANAGEMENT Corp acquired a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 4th quarter worth $8,430,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 15.0% during the 4th quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 7,662 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $7,020,000 after acquiring an additional 1,001 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have weighed in on COST shares. Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $1,075.00 price objective (up from $980.00) on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Tuesday, December 10th. Truist Financial lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $909.00 to $935.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $840.00 to $1,040.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Evercore ISI lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,040.00 to $1,070.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $950.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Friday, December 13th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,021.93.

Costco Wholesale Stock Down 2.7 %

COST stock opened at $1,034.22 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Co. has a 12-month low of $697.27 and a 12-month high of $1,078.23. The company has a quick ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The company has a market cap of $459.09 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 60.73, a PEG ratio of 6.32 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a 50 day moving average of $974.70 and a two-hundred day moving average of $928.97.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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 issued a dividend of $1.16 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 7th. This represents a $4.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.45%. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is currently 27.25%.

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.