Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH Decreases Position in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST)

Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH lowered its position in Costco Wholesale Co. (NASDAQ:COST) by 2.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,229 shares of the retailer’s stock after selling 155 shares during the quarter. Fort Washington Investment Advisors Inc. OH’s holdings in Costco Wholesale were worth $6,624,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Fermata Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Costco Wholesale by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. Fermata Advisors LLC now owns 1,968 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,745,000 after acquiring an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Sculati Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.3% in the third quarter. Sculati Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,649 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $3,235,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC increased its stake in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.3% during the 4th quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,708 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $3,398,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Gill Capital Partners LLC raised its position in shares of Costco Wholesale by 0.9% during the 4th quarter. Gill Capital Partners LLC now owns 1,270 shares of the retailer’s stock worth $1,164,000 after purchasing an additional 11 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Scott Capital Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Costco Wholesale by 0.8% in the 4th quarter. Scott Capital Advisors LLC now owns 1,348 shares of the retailer’s stock valued at $1,247,000 after buying an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 68.48% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms have weighed in on COST. StockNews.com downgraded Costco Wholesale from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, September 27th. Stifel Nicolaus boosted their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $935.00 to $1,000.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 5th. Robert W. Baird upped their target price on shares of Costco Wholesale from $975.00 to $1,075.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their price target on shares of Costco Wholesale from $1,050.00 to $1,145.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, December 5th. Finally, Oppenheimer reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $1,075.00 price objective (up previously from $980.00) on shares of Costco Wholesale in a research note on Tuesday, December 10th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nineteen have given a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $1,013.59.

Costco Wholesale Stock Performance

Costco Wholesale stock opened at $944.70 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $419.35 billion, a PE ratio of 55.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 5.63 and a beta of 0.84. Costco Wholesale Co. has a one year low of $675.96 and a one year high of $1,008.25. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $950.34 and its 200 day moving average price is $902.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a quick ratio of 0.43 and a current ratio of 0.98.

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.