What is Costco Wholesale Corporation's earnings per share (EPS)?

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) reported diluted earnings per share of $20.76 for fiscal year 2026. This represents a 14.0% change compared to the previous fiscal year. EPS represents the portion of a company's net income allocated to each outstanding share of common stock and is widely used to evaluate profitability on a per-share basis.

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) Financials

COST

FY2026 annual

Revenue $303.2B +10.1% YoY

Net Income $9.2B +13.9% YoY

EPS (Diluted) $20.76 +14.0% YoY

Free Cash Flow $9.4B +19.7% YoY

Market Cap $419.6B as of Oct 10, 2026

Price / Sales 1.4x on $303.2B revenue, FY2026

Price / Earnings 45.5x on $9.2B net income, FY2026

Price / Book 11.7x on $35.8B equity, Q4 FY2026

A multiple compares the market's price with a filed figure; it says what the market pays, not how the business is doing. The market capitalization is the vendor's as of Oct 10, 2026; every other figure is from the SEC filings on this page. Not financial advice.

Source SEC Filings (10-K/10-Q) Latest period FY2026, ended Aug 30, 2026 Reported Oct 7, 2026 Currency USD FYE August

Newest figures come from the 10-K for FY2026, filed Oct 7, 2026. Each column of the statement tables below links to the filing it was taken from, and every filing is listed on the COST SEC filings page.

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) reported $303.2B in revenue for fiscal year 2026, up 10.1% from the prior fiscal year. This page shows its income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, and key financial ratios. View 15 years of annual fundamentals and quarterly data, with year-over-year growth rates and compound annual growth rates (CAGR). All figures are derived from SEC filings (10-K and 10-Q reports).

Rhea AI COST FY2026 2026-10-07

Costco is a thin-margin, high-volume operator whose growing cash flow funds more investment while leverage falls.

Across FY2022-FY2026, operating cash flow grew faster than net income, indicating that cash generation benefited from more than the accounting profit line alone. Free-cash-flow margin expanded even as capital expenditures climbed, meaning the business funded heavier reinvestment while producing more cash per sales dollar.

Gross margin moved from 12.2% in FY2022 to 12.8% in FY2026, showing merchandise economics remained stable while sales expanded. Operating margin reached 3.9% in FY2026, up from 3.4% in FY2022; that parallel improvement suggests selling and administrative costs are being absorbed somewhat better, rather than the change coming only from purchasing economics.

The current ratio recovered to 1.1 in FY2026 after dipping below 1.0 in FY2024, indicating short-term coverage is close rather than abundant. Debt-to-equity fell to 0.1x from 0.3x in FY2022 even as the asset base expanded, so growth has not required rising balance-sheet leverage.

Financial Health Signals

Financial Health Score 63/100

Scored against operating companies for FY2026. Each of the six dimensions is a percentile rank within that peer group; the overall is their average, with missing dimensions counted as zero out of six. A high score means strong standing among peers, not absolute cross-industry strength. How this score is calculated →

Health score ≠ stock price. This rates the quality of Costco Wholesale Corporation's business: profitability, growth, balance sheet strength. It doesn't tell you whether the stock is a good buy at today's price. Not financial advice. Use it alongside valuation analysis and your own research.

Profitability

Costco Wholesale Corporation has an operating margin of 3.9%, meaning the company retains $4 of operating profit per $100 of revenue. This results in a moderate score of 62/100, indicating healthy but not exceptional operating efficiency. This is up from 3.8% the prior year.

Growth

Costco Wholesale Corporation's revenue grew 10.1% year-over-year to $303.2B, a solid pace of expansion. This earns a growth score of 63/100.

Leverage

Costco Wholesale Corporation carries a low D/E ratio of 0.11, meaning only $0.11 of long-term debt for every $1 of shareholders' equity. This conservative leverage earns a score of 96/100, indicating a strong balance sheet with room for future borrowing.

Liquidity

Costco Wholesale Corporation's current ratio of 1.06 is below the typical benchmark, resulting in a score of 21/100. This tight liquidity could limit financial flexibility if cash inflows slow.

Cash Flow

Costco Wholesale Corporation has a free cash flow margin of 3.1%, earning a moderate score of 37/100. The company generates positive cash flow after capital investments, but with room for improvement.

Returns

Costco Wholesale Corporation earns a strong 25.8% return on equity (ROE), meaning it generates $26 of profit for every $100 of shareholders' equity. This efficient capital use earns a returns score of 96/100. This is down from 27.8% the prior year.

Altman Z-Score Safe

9.05

Costco Wholesale Corporation scores 9.05, well above the 2.99 safe threshold. The score is driven primarily by a large market capitalization ($419.6B) relative to total liabilities ($53.2B). This indicates low bankruptcy risk based on profitability, leverage, and asset efficiency.

Distress-screening estimate for non-financial companies. Not computed for banks or insurers, where the Altman model does not apply.

Piotroski F-Score Neutral

6/9

Costco Wholesale Corporation passes 6 of 9 financial strength tests. 3 of 4 profitability signals pass, all 3 leverage/liquidity signals pass, neither operating efficiency signal passes.

Earnings Quality Cash-Backed

1.71x

For every $1 of reported earnings, Costco Wholesale Corporation generates $1.71 in operating cash flow ($15.8B OCF vs $9.2B net income). This indicates profits are well-supported by actual cash generation, not accounting adjustments.

Interest Coverage Safe

80.59x

Costco Wholesale Corporation earns $80.59 in operating income for every $1 of interest expense ($11.7B vs $145.0M). This wide margin provides strong safety for debt servicing, even if earnings decline temporarily.

Key Financial Metrics

Export CSV

Earnings & Revenue

None of these metrics is reported for Q4 2026.

Cash & Balance Sheet

Free Cash Flow

$2.5B

YoY+30.3%

QoQ+45.1%

5Y CAGR+11.4%

10Y CAGR+18.1%

Costco Wholesale Corporation generated $2.5B in free cash flow in Q4 2026, representing cash available after capex. This represents an increase of 30.3% from the same quarter a year earlier. Against the prior quarter it is up 45.1%.

Cash & Debt

$20.2B

YoY+42.7%

QoQ+6.7%

5Y CAGR+24.4%

Costco Wholesale Corporation held $20.2B in cash against $3.9B in long-term debt as of Q4 2026, with $44.0B of liabilities due within a year.

Dividends Per Share

$1.47

YoY+13.1%

QoQ0.0%

Costco Wholesale Corporation paid $1.47 per share in dividends in Q4 2026. This represents an increase of 13.1% from the same quarter a year earlier. It is unchanged from the prior quarter.

Shares Outstanding

443M

YoY0.0%

QoQ-0.1%

5Y CAGR+0.1%

10Y CAGR+0.2%

Costco Wholesale Corporation had 443M shares outstanding in Q4 2026. That is unchanged from the same quarter a year earlier. Against the prior quarter it is down 0.1%.

Margins & Returns

None of these metrics is reported for Q4 2026.

Capital Allocation

Share Buybacks

$245.0M

YoY-12.5%

QoQ+17.2%

5Y CAGR+50.2%

10Y CAGR-1.2%

Costco Wholesale Corporation spent $245.0M on share buybacks in Q4 2026, returning capital to shareholders by reducing shares outstanding. This represents a decrease of 12.5% from the same quarter a year earlier. Against the prior quarter it is up 17.2%.

Capital Expenditures

$2.2B

YoY+12.3%

QoQ+71.2%

5Y CAGR+24.8%

10Y CAGR+16.7%

Costco Wholesale Corporation invested $2.2B in capex in Q4 2026, funding long-term assets and infrastructure. This represents an increase of 12.3% from the same quarter a year earlier. Against the prior quarter it is up 71.2%.

R&D Spending

Not reported for Q4 2026.

COST Income Statement

Figures in USD, abbreviated K (thousand), M (million), B (billion), T (trillion). Negative values carry a minus sign and red type. Each change compares the year with the year before it, and each quarter with the same quarter a year earlier.

COST quarterly income statement

Metric	FY2610-K	FY2510-K	FY2410-K	FY2310-K	FY2210-K	FY2110-K	FY2010-K	FY1910-K	FY1810-K	FY1710-K	FY1610-K	FY1510-K	FY1410-K	FY1310-K	FY1210-K
Revenue	$303.2B+10.1%	$275.2B+8.2%	$254.5B+5.0%	$242.3B+6.8%	$227.0B+15.8%	$195.9B+17.5%	$166.8B+9.2%	$152.7B+7.9%	$141.6B+9.7%	$129.0B+8.7%	$118.7B+2.2%	$116.2B+3.2%	$112.6B+7.1%	$105.2B+6.1%	$99.1B
Cost of Revenue	$264.3B+10.2%	$239.9B+7.9%	$222.4B+4.6%	$212.6B+6.6%	$199.4B+16.8%	$170.7B+17.8%	$144.9B+9.1%	$132.9B+7.9%	$123.2B+10.1%	$111.9B+8.7%	$102.9B+1.8%	$101.1B+2.6%	$98.5B+7.1%	$91.9B+5.9%	$86.8B
Gross Profit	$38.9B+10.0%	$35.3B+10.1%	$32.1B+8.0%	$29.7B+7.7%	$27.6B+9.2%	$25.2B+15.7%	$21.8B+32.5%	$16.5B-10.6%	$18.4B+7.5%	$17.1B+8.4%	$15.8B+4.5%	$15.1B+6.7%	$14.2B+7.4%	$13.2B+7.3%	$12.3B
SG&A Expenses	$27.2B+8.9%	$25.0B+9.5%	$22.8B+5.7%	$21.6B+9.2%	$19.8B+6.7%	$18.5B+13.1%	$16.4B+9.3%	$15.0B+8.1%	$13.9B+7.2%	$12.9B+7.3%	$12.1B+5.4%	$11.4B+5.0%	$10.9B+7.9%	$10.1B+6.2%	$9.5B
Operating Income	$11.7B+12.5%	$10.4B+11.8%	$9.3B+14.4%	$8.1B+4.1%	$7.8B+16.2%	$6.7B+23.4%	$5.4B+14.7%	$4.7B+5.7%	$4.5B+9.0%	$4.1B+12.0%	$3.7B+1.3%	$3.6B+12.5%	$3.2B+5.5%	$3.1B+10.7%	$2.8B
EBITDA	$14.4B+12.1%	$12.8B+11.2%	$11.5B+13.1%	$10.2B+5.1%	$9.7B+14.2%	$8.5B+19.9%	$7.1B+13.7%	$6.2B+5.3%	$5.9B+8.0%	$5.5B+11.2%	$4.9B+3.7%	$4.8B+11.8%	$4.2B+6.3%	$4.0B+9.1%	$3.7B
Interest Expense	$145.0M-5.8%	$154.0M-8.9%	$169.0M+5.6%	$160.0M+1.3%	$158.0M-7.6%	$171.0M+6.9%	$160.0M+6.7%	$150.0M-5.7%	$159.0M+18.7%	$134.0M+0.8%	$133.0M+7.3%	$124.0M+9.7%	$113.0M+14.1%	$99.0M+4.2%	$95.0M
Income Tax	$3.0B+11.3%	$2.7B+14.6%	$2.4B+8.1%	$2.2B+14.0%	$1.9B+20.2%	$1.6B+22.4%	$1.3B+23.3%	$1.1B-16.0%	$1.3B-4.7%	$1.3B+6.6%	$1.2B+4.0%	$1.2B+7.8%	$1.1B+12.0%	$990.0M-1.0%	$1.0B
Net Income	$9.2B+13.9%	$8.1B+9.9%	$7.4B+17.1%	$6.3B+7.7%	$5.8B+16.7%	$5.0B+25.1%	$4.0B+9.4%	$3.7B+16.8%	$3.1B+17.0%	$2.7B+14.0%	$2.4B-1.1%	$2.4B+15.5%	$2.1B+0.9%	$2.0B+19.3%	$1.7B
EPS (Basic)	$20.78+13.9%	$18.24+9.9%	$16.59+17.0%	$14.18+7.7%	$13.17+16.5%	$11.30+24.9%	$9.05+8.8%	$8.32+16.4%	$7.15+17.0%	$6.11+14.0%	$5.36-0.9%	$5.41+15.4%	$4.69+0.2%	$4.68+18.8%	$3.94
EPS (Diluted)	$20.76+14.0%	$18.21+10.0%	$16.56+16.9%	$14.16+7.8%	$13.14+16.6%	$11.27+24.9%	$9.02+9.2%	$8.26+16.5%	$7.09+16.6%	$6.08+14.1%	$5.33-0.7%	$5.37+15.5%	$4.65+0.4%	$4.63+19.0%	$3.89
Diluted Shares (Avg)	444M-0.1%	445M0.0%	445M+0.1%	444M-0.1%	445M+0.1%	444M+0.1%	444M+0.2%	443M+0.2%	442M+0.2%	441M-0.1%	441M-0.3%	443M+0.1%	442M+0.4%	441M+0.3%	439M

Metric	Q4'2610-K	Q2'2610-Q	Q1'2610-Q	Q4'2510-K	Q3'2510-Q	Q1'2510-Q	Q3'2410-Q	Q1'2410-Q
Revenue	N/A	$69.6B	$67.3B+8.3%	N/A	$63.2B+8.0%	$62.2B+7.5%	$58.5B+9.1%	$57.8B+6.2%
Cost of Revenue	N/A	$61.5B	$58.5B+8.1%	N/A	$55.0B+7.5%	$54.1B+7.2%	$51.2B+8.5%	$50.5B+5.6%
Gross Profit	N/A	$8.1B	$8.8B+9.4%	N/A	$8.2B+11.8%	$8.0B+9.5%	$7.3B+13.4%	$7.3B+10.1%
SG&A Expenses	N/A	$6.2B	$6.3B+8.3%	N/A	$5.7B+10.4%	$5.8B+9.1%	$5.1B+7.3%	$5.4B+9.0%
Operating Income	N/A	$2.8B	$2.5B+12.2%	N/A	$2.5B+15.2%	$2.2B+10.7%	$2.2B+30.9%	$2.0B+13.3%
EBITDA	N/A	$3.4B	$3.1B+11.5%	N/A	$3.1B+13.7%	$2.7B+10.4%	$2.7B+26.0%	$2.5B+13.1%
Interest Expense	N/A	$32.0M	$35.0M-5.4%	N/A	$35.0M-14.6%	$37.0M-2.6%	$41.0M+13.9%	$38.0M+11.8%
Income Tax	N/A	$746.0M	$582.0M+14.6%	N/A	$677.0M+12.3%	$508.0M-1.7%	$603.0M+28.6%	$517.0M+27.3%
Net Income	N/A	$2.2B	$2.0B+11.3%	N/A	$1.9B+13.2%	$1.8B+13.2%	$1.7B+29.1%	$1.6B+16.5%
EPS (Basic)	N/A	$4.94	$4.51+11.4%	N/A	$4.29+13.2%	$4.05+13.1%	$3.79+28.9%	$3.58+16.6%
EPS (Diluted)	N/A	$4.93	$4.50+11.4%	N/A	$4.28+13.2%	$4.04+12.8%	$3.78+29.0%	$3.58+16.6%
Diluted Shares (Avg)	N/A	444M	445M-0.1%	N/A	445M0.0%	445M+0.1%	445M+0.1%	444M0.0%

Not reported in any period shown, so not listed: R&D Expenses.

COST Balance Sheet

COST quarterly balance sheet

Metric	FY2610-K	FY2510-K	FY2410-K	FY2310-K	FY2210-K	FY2110-K	FY2010-K	FY1910-K	FY1810-K	FY1710-K	FY1610-K	FY1510-K	FY1410-K	FY1310-K	FY1210-K
Total Assets	$89.0B+15.5%	$77.1B+10.4%	$69.8B+1.2%	$69.0B+7.5%	$64.2B+8.3%	$59.3B+6.7%	$55.6B+22.4%	$45.4B+11.2%	$40.8B+12.3%	$36.3B+9.6%	$33.2B+0.4%	$33.0B+1.1%	$32.7B+7.9%	$30.3B+11.6%	$27.1B
Current Assets	$46.6B+21.4%	$38.4B+12.1%	$34.2B-4.6%	$35.9B+9.7%	$32.7B+10.8%	$29.5B+4.9%	$28.1B+19.7%	$23.5B+15.8%	$20.3B+17.2%	$17.3B+13.8%	$15.2B-9.3%	$16.8B-4.6%	$17.6B+11.0%	$15.8B+17.1%	$13.5B
Cash & Equivalents	$20.2B+42.7%	$14.2B+43.0%	$9.9B-27.7%	$13.7B+34.3%	$10.2B-9.4%	$11.3B-8.3%	$12.3B+46.4%	$8.4B+38.5%	$6.1B+33.2%	$4.5B+34.5%	$3.4B-29.6%	$4.8B-16.3%	$5.7B+23.6%	$4.6B+31.6%	$3.5B
Short-Term Investments	$1.1B-2.6%	$1.1B-9.3%	$1.2B-19.3%	$1.5B+81.3%	$846.0M-7.7%	$917.0M-10.8%	$1.0B-3.0%	$1.1B-12.0%	$1.2B-2.4%	$1.2B-8.7%	$1.4B-16.6%	$1.6B+2.6%	$1.6B+6.6%	$1.5B+11.6%	$1.3B
Inventory	$19.3B+6.7%	$18.1B-2.8%	$18.6B+12.0%	$16.7B-7.0%	$17.9B+26.0%	$14.2B+16.1%	$12.2B+7.4%	$11.4B+3.2%	$11.0B+12.3%	$9.8B+9.6%	$9.0B+0.7%	$8.9B+5.3%	$8.5B+7.1%	$7.9B+11.2%	$7.1B
Long-Term Investments	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
Goodwill	$994.0M0.0%	$994.0M0.0%	$994.0M0.0%	$994.0M+0.1%	$993.0M-0.3%	$996.0M+0.8%	$988.0M+1764.2%	$53.0M	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	$63.0M-4.5%	$66.0M
Total Liabilities	$53.2B+11.1%	$47.9B+3.7%	$46.2B+5.2%	$43.9B+1.0%	$43.5B+5.7%	$41.2B+11.8%	$36.9B+23.6%	$29.8B+7.5%	$27.7B+9.7%	$25.3B+21.3%	$20.8B-6.1%	$22.2B+8.1%	$20.5B+6.4%	$19.3B+31.8%	$14.6B
Current Liabilities	$44.0B+18.4%	$37.1B+4.6%	$35.5B+5.6%	$33.6B+5.0%	$32.0B+8.7%	$29.4B+18.5%	$24.8B+6.9%	$23.2B+16.6%	$19.9B+13.9%	$17.5B+12.3%	$15.6B-5.8%	$16.5B+14.8%	$14.4B+8.7%	$13.3B+8.1%	$12.3B
Non-Current Liabilities	$9.3B-14.2%	$10.8B+0.8%	$10.7B+3.8%	$10.4B-10.1%	$11.5B-1.9%	$11.7B-2.1%	$12.0B+82.5%	$6.6B-15.7%	$7.8B+0.4%	$7.8B+47.9%	$5.3B-6.7%	$5.6B-7.6%	$6.1B+1.4%	$6.0B+154.6%	$2.4B
Long-Term Debt	$3.9B-31.5%	$5.7B-1.4%	$5.8B+7.8%	$5.4B-17.1%	$6.5B-3.1%	$6.7B-10.9%	$7.5B+46.6%	$5.1B-21.0%	$6.5B-1.3%	$6.6B+61.9%	$4.1B-16.3%	$4.9B-4.7%	$5.1B+1.9%	$5.0B+261.9%	$1.4B
Total Equity	$35.8B+22.8%	$29.2B+23.5%	$23.6B-5.7%	$25.1B+21.4%	$20.6B+17.5%	$17.6B-3.9%	$18.3B+20.0%	$15.2B+19.1%	$12.8B+18.8%	$10.8B-10.8%	$12.1B+13.8%	$10.6B-13.7%	$12.3B+13.6%	$10.8B-12.4%	$12.4B
Retained Earnings	$28.6B+26.2%	$22.6B+28.6%	$17.6B-9.7%	$19.5B+25.3%	$15.6B+33.6%	$11.7B-9.4%	$12.9B+25.6%	$10.3B+30.1%	$7.9B+31.7%	$6.0B-22.1%	$7.7B+17.9%	$6.5B-12.6%	$7.5B+18.7%	$6.3B-19.8%	$7.8B

Metric	Q4'2610-K	Q2'2610-Q	Q1'2610-Q	Q4'2510-K	Q3'2510-Q	Q1'2510-Q	Q3'2410-Q	Q1'2410-Q
Total Assets	$89.0B+15.5%	$86.4B	$82.8B+12.8%	$77.1B	$75.5B+11.1%	$73.4B-0.5%	$67.9B+1.7%	$73.7B+11.7%
Current Assets	$46.6B+21.4%	$45.2B	$43.4B+15.7%	$38.4B	$38.2B+14.6%	$37.5B-6.4%	$33.3B-2.9%	$40.1B+17.4%
Cash & Equivalents	$20.2B+42.7%	$18.9B	$16.2B+48.7%	$14.2B	$13.8B+33.0%	$10.9B-35.9%	$10.4B-16.7%	$17.0B+56.7%
Short-Term Investments	$1.1B-2.6%	$1.1B	$966.0M+5.0%	$1.1B	$1.0B-7.4%	$920.0M+7.9%	$1.1B-9.9%	$853.0M+4.4%
Inventory	$19.3B+6.7%	$19.4B	$21.1B+0.8%	$18.1B	$18.6B+6.7%	$21.0B+16.5%	$17.4B+6.8%	$18.0B-3.1%
Long-Term Investments	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0	$0
Goodwill	$994.0M0.0%	N/A	N/A	$994.0M	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Total Liabilities	$53.2B+11.1%	$52.9B	$52.5B+7.3%	$47.9B	$48.4B+4.8%	$48.9B+2.9%	$46.1B+6.9%	$47.6B+6.8%
Current Liabilities	$44.0B+18.4%	$42.1B	$41.8B+9.2%	$37.1B	$37.6B+6.3%	$38.3B+4.1%	$35.4B+11.5%	$36.8B+11.2%
Non-Current Liabilities	$9.3B-14.2%	$10.8B	$10.7B+0.3%	$10.8B	$10.8B0.0%	$10.6B-1.5%	$10.8B-6.0%	$10.8B-5.9%
Long-Term Debt	$3.9B-31.5%	$5.7B	$5.7B-1.4%	$5.7B	$5.7B-2.0%	$5.7B-2.1%	$5.8B-10.2%	$5.9B-9.4%
Total Equity	$35.8B+22.8%	$33.5B	$30.3B+23.9%	$29.2B	$27.1B+24.6%	$24.5B-6.5%	$21.8B-7.6%	$26.1B+21.8%
Retained Earnings	$28.6B+26.2%	$26.5B	$23.9B+27.6%	$22.6B	$20.9B+30.7%	$18.7B-8.8%	$16.0B-11.3%	$20.5B+24.9%

Not reported in any period shown, so not listed: Accounts Receivable.

COST Cash Flow Statement

COST quarterly cash flow statement

Metric	FY2610-K	FY2510-K	FY2410-K	FY2310-K	FY2210-K	FY2110-K	FY2010-K	FY1910-K	FY1810-K	FY1710-K	FY1610-K	FY1510-K	FY1410-K	FY1310-K	FY1210-K
Operating Cash Flow	$15.8B+18.6%	$13.3B+17.6%	$11.3B+2.4%	$11.1B+49.7%	$7.4B-17.5%	$9.0B+1.1%	$8.9B+39.4%	$6.4B+10.1%	$5.8B-14.2%	$6.7B+104.3%	$3.3B-23.2%	$4.3B+7.6%	$4.0B+15.9%	$3.4B+12.4%	$3.1B
Depreciation & Amortization	$2.7B+10.2%	$2.4B+8.4%	$2.2B+7.7%	$2.1B+9.3%	$1.9B+6.7%	$1.8B+8.3%	$1.6B+10.3%	$1.5B+3.8%	$1.4B+4.9%	$1.4B+9.2%	$1.3B+11.4%	$1.1B+9.5%	$1.0B+8.8%	$946.0M+4.2%	$908.0M
Stock-Based Compensation	$924.0M+7.4%	$860.0M+5.1%	$818.0M+5.7%	$774.0M+6.9%	$724.0M+8.9%	$665.0M+7.4%	$619.0M+4.0%	$595.0M+9.4%	$544.0M+5.8%	$514.0M+12.0%	$459.0M+16.5%	$394.0M+20.5%	$327.0M+14.7%	$285.0M+18.3%	$241.0M
Capital Expenditures	$6.4B+17.0%	$5.5B+16.7%	$4.7B+9.0%	$4.3B+11.1%	$3.9B+8.4%	$3.6B+27.7%	$2.8B-6.3%	$3.0B+1.0%	$3.0B+18.7%	$2.5B-5.5%	$2.6B+10.7%	$2.4B+20.1%	$2.0B-4.3%	$2.1B+40.7%	$1.5B
Free Cash Flow	$9.4B+19.7%	$7.8B+18.2%	$6.6B-1.7%	$6.7B+92.7%	$3.5B-34.8%	$5.4B-11.3%	$6.1B+80.2%	$3.4B+19.7%	$2.8B-33.6%	$4.2B+556.9%	$643.0M-66.0%	$1.9B-5.0%	$2.0B+47.0%	$1.4B-14.1%	$1.6B
Investing Cash Flow	-$6.4B-20.1%	-$5.3B-20.5%	-$4.4B+11.3%	-$5.0B-27.0%	-$3.9B-10.7%	-$3.5B+9.1%	-$3.9B-35.8%	-$2.9B+2.8%	-$2.9B-24.6%	-$2.4B	N/A	N/A	-$2.1B+7.0%	-$2.3B-82.1%	-$1.2B
Financing Cash Flow	-$3.4B+11.1%	-$3.8B+64.9%	-$10.8B-311.8%	-$2.6B+39.0%	-$4.3B+34.0%	-$6.5B-465.6%	-$1.1B0.0%	-$1.1B+10.5%	-$1.3B+60.2%	-$3.2B	N/A	N/A	-$786.0M-1886.4%	$44.0M+101.9%	-$2.3B
Dividends Paid	$2.5B+12.6%	$2.2B-75.9%	$9.0B+622.7%	$1.3B-16.5%	$1.5B-73.9%	$5.7B+288.6%	$1.5B+42.5%	$1.0B+50.7%	$689.0M-82.4%	$3.9B+423.3%	$746.0M-74.0%	$2.9B+390.6%	$584.0M-83.6%	$3.6B+698.2%	$446.0M
Share Buybacks	$848.0M-6.1%	$903.0M+29.0%	$700.0M+3.6%	$676.0M+54.0%	$439.0M-11.5%	$496.0M+153.1%	$196.0M-20.6%	$247.0M-24.7%	$328.0M-30.1%	$469.0M-3.5%	$486.0M+1.0%	$481.0M+44.0%	$334.0M+827.8%	$36.0M-94.3%	$632.0M

Metric	Q4'2610-K	Q2'2610-Q	Q1'2610-Q	Q4'2510-K	Q3'2510-Q	Q1'2510-Q	Q3'2410-Q	Q1'2410-Q
Operating Cash Flow	$4.7B+21.1%	$3.0B	$4.7B+43.8%	$3.9B	$2.7B+275.9%	$3.3B-29.9%	$731.0M-52.6%	$4.7B+78.2%
Depreciation & Amortization	$883.0M+14.1%	$597.0M	$597.0M+8.9%	$774.0M	$552.0M+7.4%	$548.0M+9.4%	$514.0M+8.9%	$501.0M+12.1%
Stock-Based Compensation	N/A	$119.0M	$486.0M+5.0%	N/A	$106.0M0.0%	$463.0M+4.3%	$106.0M+12.8%	$444.0M+10.4%
Capital Expenditures	$2.2B+12.3%	$1.3B	$1.5B+20.7%	$2.0B	$1.1B+10.3%	$1.3B+21.5%	$1.0B+25.7%	$1.0B-1.6%
Free Cash Flow	$2.5B+30.3%	$1.7B	$3.2B+58.4%	$1.9B	$1.6B+637.0%	$2.0B-44.7%	-$300.0M-141.6%	$3.6B+132.5%
Investing Cash Flow	-$2.2B-12.7%	-$1.2B	-$1.4B-41.9%	-$2.0B	-$1.0B+26.3%	-$985.0M-169.1%	-$1.4B-8.1%	-$366.0M+65.4%
Financing Cash Flow	-$1.2B+25.9%	-$730.0M	-$1.2B+2.2%	-$1.6B	-$241.0M+96.7%	-$1.2B-22.5%	-$7.3B-889.9%	-$974.0M-12.9%
Dividends Paid	$1.3B+13.1%	$577.0M	$577.0M+12.0%	$1.2B	$0-100.0%	$515.0M-43.1%	$7.1B+1681.2%	$905.0M+126.3%
Share Buybacks	$245.0M-12.5%	$209.0M	$210.0M+1.4%	$280.0M	$205.0M+28.1%	$207.0M+27.8%	$160.0M-1.2%	$162.0M+14.9%

COST Financial Ratios

Margins and returns are percentages; the remaining ratios are unitless multiples. Each change compares the year with the year before it, and each quarter with the same quarter a year earlier.

COST quarterly financial ratios

Metric	FY2610-K	FY2510-K	FY2410-K	FY2310-K	FY2210-K	FY2110-K	FY2010-K	FY1910-K	FY1810-K	FY1710-K	FY1610-K	FY1510-K	FY1410-K	FY1310-K	FY1210-K
Gross Margin	12.8%0.0pp	12.8%+0.2pp	12.6%+0.3pp	12.3%+0.1pp	12.2%-0.7pp	12.9%-0.2pp	13.1%+2.3pp	10.8%-2.2pp	13.0%-0.3pp	13.3%0.0pp	13.3%+0.3pp	13.0%+0.4pp	12.6%0.0pp	12.6%+0.1pp	12.4%
Operating Margin	3.9%+0.1pp	3.8%+0.1pp	3.6%+0.3pp	3.4%-0.1pp	3.4%0.0pp	3.4%+0.2pp	3.3%+0.2pp	3.1%-0.1pp	3.2%0.0pp	3.2%+0.1pp	3.1%0.0pp	3.1%+0.3pp	2.9%0.0pp	2.9%+0.1pp	2.8%
Net Margin	3.0%+0.1pp	2.9%0.0pp	2.9%+0.3pp	2.6%0.0pp	2.6%0.0pp	2.6%+0.2pp	2.4%0.0pp	2.4%+0.2pp	2.2%+0.1pp	2.1%+0.1pp	2.0%-0.1pp	2.1%+0.2pp	1.8%-0.1pp	1.9%+0.2pp	1.7%
Return on Equity	25.8%-2.0pp	27.8%-3.4pp	31.2%+6.1pp	25.1%-3.2pp	28.3%-0.2pp	28.5%+6.6pp	21.9%-2.1pp	24.0%-0.5pp	24.5%-0.4pp	24.9%+5.4pp	19.5%-2.9pp	22.4%+5.7pp	16.7%-2.1pp	18.8%+5.0pp	13.8%
Return on Assets	10.4%-0.1pp	10.5%-0.1pp	10.5%+1.4pp	9.1%0.0pp	9.1%+0.7pp	8.5%+1.3pp	7.2%-0.9pp	8.1%+0.4pp	7.7%+0.3pp	7.4%+0.3pp	7.1%-0.1pp	7.2%+0.9pp	6.3%-0.4pp	6.7%+0.4pp	6.3%
Current Ratio	1.060.0x	1.03+0.1x	0.97-0.1x	1.070.0x	1.020.0x	1.00-0.1x	1.13+0.1x	1.010.0x	1.020.0x	0.990.0x	0.980.0x	1.01-0.2x	1.220.0x	1.19+0.1x	1.10
Debt-to-Equity	0.11-0.1x	0.200.0x	0.250.0x	0.21-0.1x	0.31-0.1x	0.380.0x	0.41+0.1x	0.34-0.2x	0.51-0.1x	0.61+0.3x	0.34-0.1x	0.460.0x	0.410.0x	0.46+0.3x	0.11
Asset Turnover	3.40-0.2x	3.57-0.1x	3.64+0.1x	3.510.0x	3.54+0.2x	3.31+0.3x	3.00-0.4x	3.36-0.1x	3.47-0.1x	3.550.0x	3.58+0.1x	3.52+0.1x	3.450.0x	3.47-0.2x	3.65
FCF Margin	3.1%+0.2pp	2.9%+0.2pp	2.6%-0.2pp	2.8%+1.2pp	1.5%-1.2pp	2.7%-0.9pp	3.6%+1.4pp	2.2%+0.2pp	2.0%-1.3pp	3.3%+2.7pp	0.5%-1.1pp	1.6%-0.1pp	1.8%+0.5pp	1.3%-0.3pp	1.6%

Metric	Q4'2610-K	Q2'2610-Q	Q1'2610-Q	Q4'2510-K	Q3'2510-Q	Q1'2510-Q	Q3'2410-Q	Q1'2410-Q
Gross Margin	N/A	11.6%	13.1%+0.1pp	N/A	13.0%+0.4pp	12.9%+0.2pp	12.6%+0.5pp	12.7%+0.5pp
Operating Margin	N/A	4.0%	3.7%+0.1pp	N/A	4.0%+0.3pp	3.5%+0.1pp	3.8%+0.6pp	3.4%+0.2pp
Net Margin	N/A	3.1%	3.0%+0.1pp	N/A	3.0%+0.1pp	2.9%+0.1pp	2.9%+0.4pp	2.8%+0.2pp
Return on Equity	N/A	6.5%	6.6%-0.7pp	N/A	7.0%-0.7pp	7.3%+1.3pp	7.7%+2.2pp	6.1%-0.3pp
Return on Assets	N/A	2.5%	2.4%0.0pp	N/A	2.5%0.0pp	2.5%+0.3pp	2.5%+0.5pp	2.2%+0.1pp
Current Ratio	1.060.0x	1.07	1.04+0.1x	1.03	1.02+0.1x	0.98-0.1x	0.94-0.1x	1.09+0.1x
Debt-to-Equity	0.11-0.1x	0.17	0.190.0x	0.20	0.21-0.1x	0.230.0x	0.270.0x	0.22-0.1x
Asset Turnover	N/A	0.81	0.810.0x	N/A	0.840.0x	0.85+0.1x	0.86+0.1x	0.780.0x
FCF Margin	N/A	2.5%	4.7%+1.5pp	N/A	2.5%+3.1pp	3.2%-3.0pp	-0.5%-1.9pp	6.3%+3.4pp

Similar Companies

Newest fiscal year on record for each company. The health score is the peer-relative Financial Health Score for that year; a dash means no score is published for it.

Company	Fiscal year	Revenue	Net income	Net margin	Market cap	Health score
Costco Wholesale Corporation COST	FY2026	$303.2B	$9.2B	3.0%	$419.6B	63/100
Walmart Inc. WMT	FY2026	$713.2B	$21.9B	3.1%	$883.4B	50/100
BJs Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. BJ	FY2025	$21.5B	$578.0M	2.7%	$12.5B	51/100
Dollar General Corp. DG	FY2025	$42.7B	$1.5B	3.5%	$28.1B	47/100
Target Corporation TGT	FY2025	$104.8B	$3.7B	3.5%	$69.8B	43/100
Dollar Tree Inc. DLTR	FY2025	$19.4B	$1.3B	6.6%	$22.3B	55/100

Where Costco Wholesale Corporation Ranks

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Costco Wholesale Corporation's annual revenue?

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) reported $303.2B in total revenue for fiscal year 2026. This represents a 10.1% change compared to the previous fiscal year. Revenue measures the total income earned from the company's primary business operations before any expenses are deducted.

How fast is Costco Wholesale Corporation's revenue growing?

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) revenue grew by 10.1% year-over-year, from $275.2B to $303.2B in fiscal year 2026.

Is Costco Wholesale Corporation profitable?

Yes, Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) reported a net income of $9.2B in fiscal year 2026, with a net profit margin of 3.0%.

What is Costco Wholesale Corporation's EBITDA?

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) had EBITDA of $14.4B in fiscal year 2026, measuring earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.

How much debt does Costco Wholesale Corporation have?

As of fiscal year 2026, Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) had $20.2B in cash and equivalents against $3.9B in long-term debt.

What is Costco Wholesale Corporation's gross margin?

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) had a gross margin of 12.8% in fiscal year 2026, indicating the percentage of revenue retained after direct costs of goods sold.

What is Costco Wholesale Corporation's operating margin?

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) had an operating margin of 3.9% in fiscal year 2026, reflecting the profitability of core business operations before interest and taxes.

What is Costco Wholesale Corporation's net profit margin?

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) had a net profit margin of 3.0% in fiscal year 2026, representing the share of revenue converted into profit after all expenses.

Does Costco Wholesale Corporation pay dividends?

Yes, Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) paid $5.54 per share in dividends during fiscal year 2026.

What is Costco Wholesale Corporation's return on equity (ROE)?

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) has a return on equity of 25.8% for fiscal year 2026, measuring how efficiently the company generates profit from shareholder equity.

What is Costco Wholesale Corporation's free cash flow?

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) generated $9.4B in free cash flow during fiscal year 2026. This represents a 19.7% change compared to the previous fiscal year. Free cash flow represents the cash a company generates after accounting for capital expenditures, and is widely used to assess financial flexibility and shareholder value.

What is Costco Wholesale Corporation's operating cash flow?

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) generated $15.8B in operating cash flow during fiscal year 2026, representing cash generated from core business activities.

What are Costco Wholesale Corporation's total assets?

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) had $89.0B in total assets as of fiscal year 2026, including both current and long-term assets.

What are Costco Wholesale Corporation's capital expenditures?

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) invested $6.4B in capital expenditures during fiscal year 2026, funding long-term assets and infrastructure.

Does Costco Wholesale Corporation buy back shares?

Yes, Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) spent $848.0M on share buybacks during fiscal year 2026, returning capital to shareholders by reducing shares outstanding.

How many shares does Costco Wholesale Corporation have outstanding?

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) had 443M shares outstanding as of fiscal year 2026.

What is Costco Wholesale Corporation's current ratio?

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) had a current ratio of 1.06 as of fiscal year 2026, which is considered adequate.

What is Costco Wholesale Corporation's debt-to-equity ratio?

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) had a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.11 as of fiscal year 2026, measuring the company's financial leverage by comparing total debt to shareholder equity.

What is Costco Wholesale Corporation's return on assets (ROA)?

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) had a return on assets of 10.4% for fiscal year 2026, measuring how efficiently the company uses its assets to generate profit.

What is Costco Wholesale Corporation's P/E ratio?

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) trades at 45.5x earnings, its market capitalization divided by net income of $9.2B net income, FY2026. The market capitalization is $419.6B as of Oct 10, 2026; a multiple compares that price with a filed figure and says nothing about the quality of the business.

What is Costco Wholesale Corporation's price-to-sales ratio?

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) trades at 1.4x sales, its market capitalization divided by revenue of $303.2B revenue, FY2026. The market capitalization is $419.6B as of Oct 10, 2026; a multiple compares that price with a filed figure and says nothing about the quality of the business.

What is Costco Wholesale Corporation's Altman Z-Score?

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) has an Altman Z-Score of 9.05, placing it in the Safe Zone (low bankruptcy risk). The Z-Score combines five financial ratios (working capital, retained earnings, EBIT, market capitalization, and revenue relative to total assets) to predict the likelihood of bankruptcy. Scores above 2.99 indicate financial safety while scores below 1.81 suggest financial distress. Learn more in our complete guide to financial health indicators.

What is Costco Wholesale Corporation's Piotroski F-Score?

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) has a Piotroski F-Score of 6 out of 9, indicating neutral financial health. The F-Score evaluates nine binary signals across profitability (positive ROA, positive cash flow, improving ROA, earnings quality), leverage (decreasing debt, improving liquidity, no share dilution), and operating efficiency (improving gross margin, improving asset turnover). Scores of 7 to 9 indicate strong and improving fundamentals. Learn more in our complete guide to financial health indicators.

Are Costco Wholesale Corporation's earnings high quality?

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) has an earnings quality ratio of 1.71x, considered cash-backed (high quality). This ratio compares operating cash flow to net income. A ratio above 1.0x means the company generates more cash than its reported earnings, indicating sustainable, cash-backed profits. Ratios below 1.0x suggest earnings rely on accounting accruals rather than actual cash generation. Learn more in our complete guide to financial health indicators.

Can Costco Wholesale Corporation cover its interest payments?

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) has an interest coverage ratio of 80.59x, meaning it can comfortably cover its interest obligations. This ratio divides operating income by interest expense. Ratios above 5x indicate strong debt-servicing ability, while ratios below 2x suggest the company may face difficulty meeting interest payments if earnings decline. Learn more in our complete guide to financial health indicators.

How financially healthy is Costco Wholesale Corporation?

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) scores 63 out of 100 on our Financial Health Score, indicating moderate standing within its operating companies peer group. The score is a 0-100 composite of six dimensions (Profitability, Growth, Leverage, Liquidity, Cash Flow, Returns), each ranked as a percentile relative to companies in the same scoring family (banks against banks, REITs against REITs, and so on) rather than across all industries. It rates the quality of the business, not whether the stock is fairly priced, and is not financial advice. Learn more in our complete guide to financial health indicators.