Exchange Capital Management Inc. Boosts Holdings in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST)

Exchange Capital Management Inc. increased its position in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 9.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 2,465 shares of the retailer’s stock after buying an additional 222 shares during the quarter. Exchange Capital Management Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $2,259,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale during the 3rd quarter valued at $29,000. Endeavor Private Wealth Inc. bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth about $33,000. Collier Financial bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth about $35,000. Barrett & Company Inc. raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 59.3% in the 4th quarter. Barrett & Company Inc. now owns 43 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 16 shares during the last quarter. Finally, FSC Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter worth about $41,000. 68.48% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Shares of COST stock opened at $1,035.60 on Tuesday. Costco Wholesale Co. has a 1-year low of $697.27 and a 1-year high of $1,078.23. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $976.47 and its 200 day moving average is $933.62. The company has a market cap of $459.70 billion, a P/E ratio of 60.81, a PEG ratio of 6.15 and a beta of 0.84. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.98 and a quick ratio of 0.43.

Costco Wholesale Dividend Announcement

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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. TD Cowen upped their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $975.00 to $1,090.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on Costco Wholesale from $1,000.00 to $1,075.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. UBS Group increased their target price on Costco Wholesale from $840.00 to $1,040.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. Citigroup raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $800.00 to $1,060.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 18th. Finally, Robert W. Baird raised their price target on Costco Wholesale from $975.00 to $1,075.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 5th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eighteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Costco Wholesale currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,021.93.

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.