ST. Nicholas Private Asset Management Inc. Acquires New Holdings in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST)

ST. Nicholas Private Asset Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm acquired 2,802 shares of the retailer’s stock, valued at approximately $2,567,000. Costco Wholesale makes up 2.3% of ST. Nicholas Private Asset Management Inc.’s portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest holding.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. AMF Tjanstepension AB bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $42,896,000. Swedbank AB increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 443,747 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $393,391,000 after buying an additional 6,495 shares during the period. Global Trust Asset Management LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 4.2% in the 3rd quarter. Global Trust Asset Management LLC now owns 2,725 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $2,416,000 after buying an additional 111 shares during the period. DT Investment Partners LLC increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 4.9% in the 3rd quarter. DT Investment Partners LLC now owns 1,638 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,452,000 after buying an additional 77 shares during the period. Finally, Woodard & Co. Asset Management Group Inc. ADV increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 7.5% in the 3rd quarter. Woodard & Co. Asset Management Group Inc. ADV now owns 2,183 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,935,000 after buying an additional 153 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $1,035.03 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a current ratio of 0.98. The firm has a market cap of $459.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 60.78, a P/E/G ratio of 6.15 and a beta of 0.84. The business’s fifty day moving average is $975.61 and its two-hundred day moving average is $931.39. Costco Wholesale Co. has a 52 week low of $697.27 and a 52 week high of $1,078.23.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 7th were paid a $1.16 dividend. This represents a $4.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.45%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 7th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is currently 27.25%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have commented on the company. Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,075.00 price target (up from $980.00) on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Tuesday, December 10th. Barclays boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $850.00 to $940.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Robert W. Baird boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $975.00 to $1,075.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $1,075.00 to $1,175.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Evercore ISI restated a “hold” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, February 14th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,021.93.

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.