Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) Shares Sold by Ballentine Partners LLC

Ballentine Partners LLC lessened its position in shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 0.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 9,645 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 61 shares during the quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $8,837,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at $29,000. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at $55,000. Mowery & Schoenfeld Wealth Management LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter valued at $58,000. Dixon Mitchell Investment Counsel Inc. purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at $58,000. Finally, Christopher J. Hasenberg Inc lifted its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of COST opened at $947.73 on Wednesday. Costco Wholesale Co. has a 1-year low of $675.96 and a 1-year high of $1,008.25. The stock has a market cap of $420.70 billion, a PE ratio of 55.65, a P/E/G ratio of 5.63 and a beta of 0.84. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $950.03 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $902.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.43.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have issued reports on COST. Raymond James increased their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $990.00 to $1,030.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,075.00 price target (up from $980.00) on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Evercore ISI raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,019.00 to $1,020.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein started coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Tuesday, October 22nd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $1,016.00 price target on the stock. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,013.59.

Insider Buying and Selling at Costco Wholesale

In related news, EVP Richard A. Galanti sold 1,416 shares of Costco Wholesale stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, October 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $894.68, for a total value of $1,266,866.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 27,400 shares in the company, valued at approximately $24,514,232. The trade was a 4.91 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

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.