COST- Costco Wholesale Corporation
Consumer Defensive · Discount Stores
Price & Performance
Performance
Analysis & Verdict
Analyst Ratings
BuyWall Street consensus from 35 analysts
12-Month Price Target
$1072.20
Based on analyst estimates; price targets are opinions, not guarantees.
Fair Value Estimates
Current price: $904.77
Graham Number
√(22.5 × EPS × Book Value)
$129.19
Benjamin Graham's intrinsic value formula. Assumes a fair stock trades at no more than 22.5× the product of EPS and book value per share.
Bazin Ceiling Price
Avg. Annual DPS (5Y) ÷ 6%
$116.93
Décio Bazin's dividend-based ceiling. The max price you should pay so that dividends alone deliver at least 6% annual yield on your cost basis.
These are simplified estimates. Not financial advice.
Buy & Hold Checklist
Quality criteria for long-term holding
9/10
90% score
Pays dividends
15Y hist.15+ years of dividend history
Dividend consistency (5Y+)
15 yrsUninterrupted dividend payments for at least 5 years
ROE above 10%
29.2%Return on equity - measures how efficiently capital is used
Positive profit margin
3.0%Net profit margin must be positive - company earns more than it spends
Revenue growth (annual)
+21.5%Annual revenue must be growing compared to the prior year
Earnings growth (annual)
+45.5%Annual earnings must be growing compared to the prior year
Debt/Equity below 2×
60.26×Low financial leverage reduces risk of distress
Current ratio above 1
1.07×Short-term assets must cover short-term liabilities
Daily liquidity above $5M
$2.0B/dayHigh trading volume ensures easy entry and exit
Dividend yield above 0%
0.65%Stock must distribute income to shareholders
Financials
Revenue & Results
Key Statistics
Earnings
Next Earnings
Sep 24, 2026
12
days
EPS (TTM)
$19.90
P/E (TTM)
45.5
Fwd P/E
40.0
SEC Filings & Reported Financials
Earnings History
SEC EDGAR · official filings
SEC Filings
Official EDGAR documents
Insider Transactions
SEC Form 4 · officers, directors & 10% owners
Dividends & Income
Dividends
Current DY
0.65%
5Y Avg Annual
$7.2500
Last Payment
$1.4700
Ex-Date
07/24/2026
Annual dividends paid per share
| Ex-Date | Payment | Amount | Est. DY |
|---|---|---|---|
Latest07/24/2026 | 08/07/2026 | $1.4700 | 0.65% |
05/01/2026 | 05/15/2026 | $1.4700 | 0.65% |
01/30/2026 | 02/13/2026 | $1.3000 | 0.57% |
10/31/2025 | 11/14/2025 | $1.3000 | 0.57% |
08/01/2025 | 08/15/2025 | $1.3000 | 0.57% |
05/02/2025 | 05/16/2025 | $1.3000 | 0.57% |
02/07/2025 | 02/21/2025 | $1.1600 | 0.51% |
11/01/2024 | 11/15/2024 | $1.1600 | 0.51% |
Magic Number
Shares needed to self-fund your next purchase
$904.77
Price
$1.4700
Last div. (quarterly)
616
shares
Own 616 COST shares ($557,338.32) and each quarterly dividend pays for 1 new share - the snowball runs on its own.
Investment target
$557,338.32
New shares / year
+4 shares
Dividend Calculator
0.65% yieldEstimate COST dividend income at the current rate.
Per year
$64.99
Per month
$5.42
≈ 11.1 shares at $5.88/share a year. Estimate only - dividends can be cut or raised.
Tools & Simulators
COST vs Peers, Indexes & Commodities
?Click a card below to plot it on the chart
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Parameters
Final value
$426,404.61
Total invested
$130,000.00
Total interest
$296,404.61
Balance over time
Period breakdown
| Period | Balance | Invested | Interest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start | $10,000.00 | $10,000.00 | $0.00 |
| Year 1 | $17,270.27 | $16,000.00 | $1,270.27 |
| Year 2 | $25,267.56 | $22,000.00 | $3,267.56 |
| Year 3 | $34,064.59 | $28,000.00 | $6,064.59 |
| Year 4 | $43,741.32 | $34,000.00 | $9,741.32 |
| Year 5 | $54,385.72 | $40,000.00 | $14,385.72 |
| Year 6 | $66,094.55 | $46,000.00 | $20,094.55 |
| Year 7 | $78,974.28 | $52,000.00 | $26,974.28 |
| Year 8 | $93,141.97 | $58,000.00 | $35,141.97 |
| Year 9 | $108,726.44 | $64,000.00 | $44,726.44 |
| Year 10 | $125,869.35 | $70,000.00 | $55,869.35 |
| Year 11 | $144,726.56 | $76,000.00 | $68,726.56 |
| Year 12 | $165,469.48 | $82,000.00 | $83,469.48 |
| Year 13 | $188,286.70 | $88,000.00 | $100,286.70 |
| Year 14 | $213,385.63 | $94,000.00 | $119,385.63 |
| Year 15 | $240,994.47 | $100,000.00 | $140,994.47 |
| Year 16 | $271,364.18 | $106,000.00 | $165,364.18 |
| Year 17 | $304,770.87 | $112,000.00 | $192,770.87 |
| Year 18 | $341,518.22 | $118,000.00 | $223,518.22 |
| Year 19 | $381,940.31 | $124,000.00 | $257,940.31 |
| Year 20 | $426,404.61 | $130,000.00 | $296,404.61 |
What is compound interest?
Compound interest means that the interest you earn in one period is added to your principal, so in the next period you earn interest on a larger base. This creates exponential growth: the longer your time horizon, the more dramatic the effect.
Which rate should I use?
The S&P 500 has historically returned ~10%/year before inflation over long periods - use this for an all-equity US index fund scenario. A balanced growth portfolio (stocks + bonds) is closer to 7%. High-yield savings accounts (HYSA) are currently paying around 4-5% with FDIC insurance and zero market risk. Bonds historically return ~4% annualized.
Formula used
FV = PV × (1+r)^n + PMT × ((1+r)^n − 1) / rwhere r is the monthly rate, n is the number of months, PV is the initial investment, and PMT is the monthly contribution. Annual rates are converted to monthly viar = (1 + annual%)^(1/12) − 1.
For educational purposes only. Not financial advice. Past returns do not guarantee future results.
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About Costco Wholesale Corporation
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. It offers merchandise, including sundries, dry groceries, candies, coolers, freezers, deli, liquor, and tobacco; non-food merchandise comprising appliances, small electronics, health and beauty aids, hardware, lawn and garden, sporting goods, tires, toys and seasonal, automotive, stamps, tickets, apparel, furniture, domestics, housewares, special order kiosks, and jewelry; and fresh food, such as meat, produce, service deli, and bakery products. The company is also involved in warehouse ancillary operations, which include gasoline, pharmacies, optical, food courts, hearing-aid centers, and tire installation centers. In addition, it engages in e-commerce, business centers, travel, and other businesses. The company was formerly known as Costco Companies, Inc. and changed its name to Costco Wholesale Corporation in August 1999. Costco Wholesale Corporation was founded in 1976 and is based in Issaquah, Washington.
Sector
Consumer Defensive
Industry
Discount Stores
Location
Issaquah, United States
Employees
341,000
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Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) stock trades at $904.77, up 0.26% on the day. With a market capitalization of $401.25 billion, COST is a mega-cap consumer defensive stock. It trades at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 45.5, a forward P/E of 40.0 and earnings per share (EPS) of $19.90. Over the most recent period the company reported 22% year-over-year revenue growth and a net profit margin of 3.0%. Below you'll find COST's full fundamentals, fair-value estimates, dividend history, earnings and our buy, hold or avoid verdict for 2026.
COST - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) a good stock to buy in 2026?
Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) shows strengths such as revenue growth of 22% and a 29% return on equity, while risks include a rich P/E of 45× and high leverage (debt/equity of 60.3). Whether COST is a good buy in 2026 depends on your time horizon and risk tolerance - review the full bull case, bear case and fair-value estimates above. This is informational analysis, not financial advice.
What is COST's stock price today?
Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) trades at $904.77, up 0.26% on the session. Prices on this page update throughout the trading day.
Does COST pay a dividend?
Yes. Costco Wholesale Corporation pays an annual dividend of $5.88 per share, a dividend yield of 0.65%. The most recent ex-dividend date was July 24, 2026. Its payout ratio is about 27% of earnings.
Is COST overvalued?
With a P/E ratio of 45.5×, COST trades at a premium valuation for the consumer defensive sector. Its PEG ratio is 4.42. See the Fair Value Estimates section above for Graham Number and dividend-based price targets.
What is COST's market cap?
Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) has a market capitalization of $401.25 billion, classifying it as a mega-cap stock in the Consumer Defensive sector.
Disclaimer: This page - including any buy/hold/avoid view, fair value or price estimate - is generated from market data for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute financial, investment or trading advice. Data may be delayed or inaccurate. Always do your own research and consult a licensed financial advisor before making any investment decision.