Atlas Financial Advisors Inc. Sells 77 Shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST)

Atlas Financial Advisors Inc. decreased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 10.5% during the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 656 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 77 shares during the period. Costco Wholesale accounts for about 0.9% of Atlas Financial Advisors Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 14th largest position. Atlas Financial Advisors Inc.’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $558,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in COST. Frank Rimerman Advisors LLC bought a new stake in Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Redmont Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in Costco Wholesale in the 1st quarter worth approximately $32,000. Vima LLC acquired a new position in shares of Costco Wholesale during the fourth quarter worth approximately $34,000. DSM Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Costco Wholesale in the fourth quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Financial Connections Group Inc. increased its position in Costco Wholesale by 557.1% during the second quarter. Financial Connections Group Inc. now owns 46 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $39,000 after acquiring an additional 39 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the topic of several research analyst reports. BMO Capital Markets raised their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $875.00 to $950.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, August 12th. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and set a $780.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Friday. Oppenheimer raised their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $925.00 to $955.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday. Argus boosted their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $805.00 to $900.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, May 28th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $925.00 to $927.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 8th. Seven research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Costco Wholesale presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $828.73.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 350 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, July 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $851.53, for a total value of $298,035.50. Following the transaction, the director now owns 5,920 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,041,057.60. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other Costco Wholesale news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 620 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $876.50, for a total value of $543,430.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 11,775 shares in the company, valued at $10,320,787.50. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Kenneth D. Denman sold 350 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, July 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $851.53, for a total value of $298,035.50. Following the sale, the director now directly owns 5,920 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,041,057.60. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 4,974 shares of company stock worth $4,252,856 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $876.68 on Friday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $857.45 and its 200 day simple moving average is $799.68. The company has a quick ratio of 0.45, a current ratio of 0.94 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. The stock has a market cap of $388.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 54.32, a P/E/G ratio of 5.98 and a beta of 0.80. Costco Wholesale Co. has a 12-month low of $540.23 and a 12-month high of $918.93.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, August 9th. Investors of record on Friday, July 26th were paid a dividend of $1.16 per share. This represents a $4.64 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.53%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, July 26th. Costco Wholesale’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 28.75%.

Costco Wholesale 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.