1,492 Costco Wholesale Corporation $COST Shares Sold by Diversified Trust Co

Diversified Trust Co cut its position in Costco Wholesale Corporation (NASDAQ:COST) by 8.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 15,342 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 1,492 shares during the quarter. Diversified Trust Co’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $13,966,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in COST. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 107.7% in the 3rd quarter. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. now owns 27 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. C M Bidwell & Associates Ltd. bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 2nd quarter valued at about $28,000. Burk Holdings LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter valued at about $30,000. Manning & Napier Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the second quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, John Boyer Inc. bought a new position in Costco Wholesale during the third quarter worth about $32,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

COST has been the subject of several recent research reports. Royal Bank Of Canada reiterated a “sector perform” rating and issued a $1,000.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday, October 9th. BMO Capital Markets reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Friday, September 25th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $950.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, September 25th. Argus reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $1,230.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Monday, September 28th. Finally, Oppenheimer reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $1,160.00 price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, September 16th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-three have assigned a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,092.23.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Teresa A. Jones sold 900 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,083.95, for a total value of $975,555.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 5,698 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,176,347.10. This trade represents a 13.64% 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 William Richard Wilcox sold 1,100 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, October 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $958.21, for a total transaction of $1,054,031.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 3,094 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,964,701.74. This represents a 26.23% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 4,956 shares of company stock valued at $4,873,216 over the last ninety days. 0.10% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Top Costco Wholesale Stories

These are some of the COST stories that stood out recently:

• Positive Sentiment: Costco’s recent sales growth and strong membership-focused business have helped fuel optimism ahead of its next quarterly results, scheduled for December 10. Article: Costco Hits All-Time High Amid $4 Billion Buyback, Special Dividend
• Negative Sentiment: Commentary cautions that Costco’s valuation is elevated, potentially limiting upside if growth or results fall short of high expectations. Article: Does Costco’s Special Dividend Offer Enough Reason to Buy the Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: A recall of certain Kirkland Signature whipped cream cans over possible cleaning-chemical contamination creates a limited product and reputational risk. Article: Thanksgiving staple recalled at Costco over possible contamination

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

NASDAQ:COST opened at $1,106.21 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $967.12 and its 200 day moving average is $975.13. The firm has a market cap of $490.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 53.29, a PEG ratio of 4.82 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11, a quick ratio of 0.62 and a current ratio of 1.06. Costco Wholesale Corporation has a 52-week low of $844.06 and a 52-week high of $1,109.50.

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, September 24th. The retailer reported $6.75 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $6.54 by $0.21. The business had revenue of $95.72 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $94.97 billion. Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 27.60% and a net margin of 3.04%. The firm’s revenue was up 11.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $5.87 EPS. Research analysts predict that Costco Wholesale Corporation will post 22.70 EPS for the current year.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

The company also recently declared a special dividend, which will be paid on Friday, December 4th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, November 24th will be issued a $30.00 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, November 24th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio is presently 28.32%.

Costco Wholesale Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership-based warehouse clubs that offer a broad selection of merchandise at generally low prices. Its products include groceries, fresh foods, appliances, electronics, apparel, furniture, and household goods, as well as its Kirkland Signature private-label line. The company also provides services such as gasoline stations, pharmacies, optical and hearing-aid centers, food courts, and travel offerings. Costco serves members through warehouses and online channels.