Moody National Bank Trust Division Purchases 71 Shares of Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST)

Moody National Bank Trust Division raised its position in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 0.8% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 8,680 shares of the retailer’s stock after purchasing an additional 71 shares during the period. Moody National Bank Trust Division’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $4,673,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. United Bank increased its stake in Costco Wholesale by 9.2% in the 1st quarter. United Bank now owns 5,254 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,026,000 after acquiring an additional 444 shares during the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in shares of Costco Wholesale by 33.6% during the first quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 383,691 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $220,948,000 after purchasing an additional 96,566 shares in the last quarter. Covestor Ltd increased its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 87.1% in the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 232 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $134,000 after purchasing an additional 108 shares during the last quarter. Bridgefront Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Costco Wholesale in the first quarter valued at approximately $333,000. Finally, Next Century Growth Investors LLC raised its position in Costco Wholesale by 0.9% during the first quarter. Next Century Growth Investors LLC now owns 3,414 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,965,000 after purchasing an additional 30 shares in the last quarter. 66.31% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Shares of Costco Wholesale stock opened at $556.36 on Friday. Costco Wholesale Co. has a 1 year low of $447.90 and a 1 year high of $571.16. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $550.58 and its 200 day moving average is $518.87. The stock has a market cap of $246.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 41.21, a PEG ratio of 4.17 and a beta of 0.79. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 1.08 and a quick ratio of 0.57.

Costco Wholesale Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, September 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, August 25th were issued a dividend of $1.02 per share. This represents a $4.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.73%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, August 24th. Costco Wholesale’s payout ratio is 30.22%.

Insider Activity at Costco Wholesale

In other news, Director Susan L. Decker sold 1,565 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $533.00, for a total value of $834,145.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 13,329 shares in the company, valued at $7,104,357. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. 0.22% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently commented on COST shares. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on Costco Wholesale from $610.00 to $640.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, August 2nd. Telsey Advisory Group reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $575.00 price target on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research report on Monday, August 28th. StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of Costco Wholesale in a report on Wednesday, August 23rd. They set a “hold” rating for the company. UBS Group boosted their price objective on shares of Costco Wholesale from $560.00 to $640.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 3rd. Finally, Loop Capital increased their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $545.00 to $570.00 in a report on Friday, June 2nd. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $566.63.

Costco Wholesale Profile

Costco Wholesale Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the operation of membership warehouses in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Japan, Korea, Australia, Spain, France, Iceland, China, and Taiwan. It offers branded and private-label products in a range of merchandise categories.