NASDAQ: COST
Costco Wholesale Corporation
Consumer Defensive · Discount Stores
After hours: $945.47(0%) · as of 7:59 PM ET
Market Cap
$419.30B
52w High
$1,096.50
52w Low
$844.06
P/E
47.54
Volume
1.40M
Outstanding Shares
443.48M
Performance
Return analysis
Price vs Fundamentals
Why The Stock Is Moving
Note: The most recent financial data is over 3 months old. Metrics shown may not reflect the latest reporting period.
What changed
The stock rose 0.05% over the last year. Revenue grew 9.23% over the trailing twelve months. Operating margin moved from 3.75% to 3.82%. Free cash flow grew 20.35% over the trailing twelve months.
What the market seems to be pricing
The stock has moved higher against modestly improving underlying metrics. The operating data does not yet tell a clear story — the move may reflect sentiment, sector rotation, or macro factors rather than company-specific earnings power.
What would invalidate this read
Operating margin currently stands at 3.82%. A decisive move in revenue — currently up 9.23% — would be the clearest signal to resolve the ambiguity.
Company profile
Costco Wholesale Corporation, alongside its group entities, operates membership-based retail warehouses across a broad international scope, spanning the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Spain, France, Iceland, China, and Taiwan.
Valuation
Stock splits
Every 1 shares became 2
Every 1 shares became 2
Every 2 shares became 3
Every 1 shares became 2
Every 1 shares became 2
Every 1 shares became 2
Profitability & growth
Analyst consensus
38
Buy
19
Hold
1
Sell
Analyst ratings tend to be lagging indicators. Use as one signal among many.
Earnings
Full quarter-by-quarter history of actuals vs estimates. Switch into compare mode to inspect one metric year-over-year.
Next report
Sep 24, 2026
Q3 FY26 · EPS est $6.56 · Revenue est $94.46B
View
Dividends
$5.54/shareQuarterlySafeCOST pays a dividend with a 0.59% dividend yield, covered 3.6× by free cash flow.
Dividend Yield
0.59%
Annual Div / Share
$5.54
5yr CAGR
-16.88%
Dividend has been cut
Payout Ratio
26.1%
Safe
Dividend Growth Rate
3yr CAGR
+13.18%
5yr CAGR
-16.88%
10yr CAGR
-2.56%
Dividend History
Annual dividends paid per share
Income Projection
Today
$0/mo
In 5 yrs
$0/mo
In 10 yrs
$0/mo
| Today | In 5 yrs | In 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|
$6/yr $0/mo | $6/yr $0/mo | $6/yr $0/mo |
Analysis
Dividend Strengths
Well-covered by free cash flow
The dividend is covered 3.6× by free cash flow, indicating the company generates sufficient cash to sustain and potentially grow the payout without straining its finances.
Risks to Watch
Dividend has been reduced
The 5-year dividend CAGR of -16.88% is negative, indicating the payout has been cut over this period.