Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Stock Price Up 0.3% – Should You Buy?

Shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) rose 0.3% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $932.87 and last traded at $920.10. Approximately 466,994 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 73% from the average daily volume of 1,729,334 shares. The stock had previously closed at $917.23.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

COST has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Raymond James raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $990.00 to $1,030.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 12th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. DA Davidson increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $880.00 to $900.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Roth Mkm increased their price target on Costco Wholesale from $755.00 to $907.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, Robert W. Baird increased 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. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,013.59.

Costco Wholesale Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.25, a quick ratio of 0.44 and a current ratio of 0.97. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $949.23 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $900.20. The firm has a market capitalization of $409.22 billion, a PE ratio of 54.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.02 and a beta of 0.84.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Richard A. Galanti sold 1,416 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $894.68, for a total transaction of $1,266,866.88. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 27,400 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $24,514,232. This trade represents a 4.91 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 0.18% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Costco Wholesale

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Dominguez Wealth Management Solutions Inc. raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. Dominguez Wealth Management Solutions Inc. now owns 1,040 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $952,000 after buying an additional 19 shares during the period. Lake Street Private Wealth LLC raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 1.2% in the 4th quarter. Lake Street Private Wealth LLC now owns 7,540 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $6,909,000 after buying an additional 93 shares during the period. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 13.8% in the 4th quarter. Dakota Community Bank & Trust NA now owns 214 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $196,000 after buying an additional 26 shares during the period. Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the 4th quarter valued at about $55,000. Finally, Brooklyn Investment Group raised its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 4.2% in the 4th quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group now owns 3,265 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $2,991,000 after buying an additional 132 shares during the period. 68.48% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.