Vancity Investment Management Ltd lessened its position in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST – Get Rating) by 2.7% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 39,552 shares of the retailer's stock after selling 1,088 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for about 3.0% of Vancity Investment Management Ltd's portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Vancity Investment Management Ltd's holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $18,679,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Captrust Financial Advisors increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 7.4% in the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 87,653 shares of the retailer's stock worth $42,011,000 after purchasing an additional 6,049 shares in the last quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 1.1% in the second quarter. Robeco Institutional Asset Management B.V. now owns 804,161 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $385,414,000 after buying an additional 8,970 shares during the period. CFO4Life Group LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 56.8% in the third quarter. CFO4Life Group LLC now owns 759 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $358,000 after buying an additional 275 shares during the period. RVW Wealth LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 9.2% in the third quarter. RVW Wealth LLC now owns 771 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $364,000 after buying an additional 65 shares during the period. Finally, AMG National Trust Bank increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 14.9% in the third quarter. AMG National Trust Bank now owns 4,598 shares of the retailer's stock valued at $2,172,000 after buying an additional 595 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 66.03% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 952 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $483.00, for a total value of $459,816.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 18,920 shares of the company's stock, valued at $9,138,360. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other news, EVP Russell D. Miller sold 1,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, November 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $483.58, for a total value of $483,580.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 11,593 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,606,142.94. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Susan L. Decker sold 952 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Monday, December 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $483.00, for a total value of $459,816.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 18,920 shares of the company's stock, valued at $9,138,360. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.22% of the company's stock.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST – Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Thursday, December 8th. The retailer reported $3.10 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $3.14 by ($0.04). Costco Wholesale had a return on equity of 28.83% and a net margin of 2.55%. The firm had revenue of $54.44 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $54.67 billion. On average, analysts forecast that Costco Wholesale Co. will post 14.24 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, February 3rd will be given a $0.90 dividend. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.72%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, February 2nd. Costco Wholesale's dividend payout ratio is currently 27.21%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. UBS Group increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $565.00 to $600.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 6th. Oppenheimer restated an "outperform" rating and set a $550.00 target price on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, December 5th. Telsey Advisory Group cut their price target on Costco Wholesale from $590.00 to $580.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, December 9th. MKM Partners cut their price target on Costco Wholesale from $512.00 to $484.00 in a report on Friday, December 9th. Finally, Bank of America cut their price target on Costco Wholesale from $605.00 to $600.00 in a report on Thursday, December 1st. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $553.78.

Costco Wholesale Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Costco Wholesale Corp. engages in the operation of membership warehouses through wholly owned subsidiaries. It operates through the following geographical segments: United States, Canada, and Other International Operations. The company was founded by James D. Sinegal and Jeffrey H. Brotman in 1983 and is headquartered in Issaquah, WA.

Featured Stories

• Get a free copy of the StockNews.com research report on Costco Wholesale (COST)
• MarketBeat Week in Review – 1/23- 1/27
• Why Lucid Spiked Nearly 100% In One Day
• Ride These Railroad Stocks for Growth and Income
• ASML Sees Demand For Chips Rallying This Year, Boosts Sales View
• KLA Corporation: Strength In A Troubled Semi-Market

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding COST? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST – Get Rating).

Receive News & Ratings for Costco Wholesale Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Costco Wholesale and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.