Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) Key Metrics
COST valuation today
Trailing 12 months · as of October 18, 2026- Market cap
- $438.30B
- Enterprise value
- $389.36B
- P/E (TTM)
- 47.6 10-yr median 39.3
- Forward P/E
- 40.3
- PEG ratio
- 4.43
- Price / sales
- 1.4 10-yr median 1.0
- Price / book
- 12.0 10-yr median 10.5
- EV / EBITDA
- 26.9 10-yr median 22.8
- Dividend yield
- 0.59% $5.88 a year
- Beta
- 0.87
COST key metrics, FY2017–FY2026
Fiscal year ended August 31, 2026 · U.S. dollarsCOST valuation Price multiples at each fiscal year-end price.
COST returns How much profit the business earns on the capital it uses.
COST per-share figures Results divided by the shares outstanding at year-end.
COST financial health Debt, liquidity and how easily interest is covered.
COST efficiency & capital use Working capital cycle and where the cash goes.
COST valuation history
COST returns on capital
Net income (ROE, ROA) or after-tax operating income (ROIC) divided by the average of the opening and closing balance.
COST debt vs cash
Debt includes short- and long-term borrowings and, where reported, lease liabilities.
COST cash returned to shareholders
COST price vs earnings per share
COST key metrics
FY2017–FY2026| FY2026 | FY2025 | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 | FY2019 | FY2018 | FY2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valuation | ||||||||||
| Market capitalization | $419.49B | $419.59B | $396.89B | $244.13B | $232.21B | $202.40B | $154.33B | $130.56B | $103.00B | $69.11B |
| Enterprise value | $406.77B | $414.53B | $395.70B | $239.43B | $232.06B | $201.63B | $152.11B | $128.33B | $102.72B | $69.99B |
| P/E ratio | 45.5 | 51.8 | 53.9 | 38.8 | 39.7 | 40.4 | 38.6 | 35.7 | 32.9 | 25.8 |
| Price / sales | 1.4 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.5 |
| Price / book | 11.7 | 14.4 | 16.8 | 9.7 | 11.2 | 11.5 | 8.4 | 8.4 | 7.9 | 6.4 |
| Price / free cash flow | 44.7 | 53.5 | 59.9 | 36.2 | 66.3 | 37.7 | 25.5 | 38.9 | 36.7 | 16.4 |
| Price / operating cash flow | 26.5 | 31.5 | 35.0 | 22.1 | 31.4 | 22.6 | 17.4 | 20.5 | 17.8 | 10.3 |
| EV / sales | 1.3 | 1.5 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.5 |
| EV / EBITDA | 28.3 | 30.9 | 32.6 | 22.3 | 23.4 | 23.4 | 21.2 | 20.0 | 17.0 | 12.6 |
| EV / free cash flow | 43.3 | 52.9 | 59.7 | 35.5 | 66.3 | 37.5 | 25.1 | 38.2 | 36.6 | 16.6 |
| Earnings yield | 2.2% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.6% | 2.8% | 3.0% | 3.9% |
| Free cash flow yield | 2.2% | 1.9% | 1.7% | 2.8% | 1.5% | 2.7% | 3.9% | 2.6% | 2.7% | 6.1% |
| Dividend yield | 0.6% | 0.5% | 2.3% | 0.5% | 0.6% | 2.8% | 1.0% | 0.8% | 0.7% | 5.6% |
| Shareholder yield (dividends + buybacks) | 0.8% | 0.7% | 2.5% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 3.1% | 1.1% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 6.3% |
| Share price at fiscal year-end | $943.89 | $943.32 | $892.38 | $549.28 | $522.10 | $455.49 | $347.66 | $294.76 | $233.13 | $156.74 |
| Per share | ||||||||||
| Revenue per share | $682.12 | $618.78 | $572.11 | $545.14 | $510.29 | $440.94 | $375.67 | $344.76 | $320.43 | $292.62 |
| Earnings per share | $20.76 | $18.21 | $16.56 | $14.16 | $13.14 | $11.27 | $9.02 | $8.26 | $7.09 | $6.08 |
| Operating cash flow per share | $35.61 | $29.98 | $25.49 | $24.90 | $16.62 | $20.16 | $19.96 | $14.35 | $13.07 | $15.25 |
| Free cash flow per share | $21.13 | $17.62 | $14.90 | $15.18 | $7.87 | $12.09 | $13.63 | $7.58 | $6.35 | $9.58 |
| Cash per share | $47.93 | $34.36 | $25.06 | $34.28 | $24.84 | $27.40 | $29.97 | $21.32 | $16.43 | $13.11 |
| Book value per share | $80.56 | $65.57 | $53.11 | $56.38 | $46.41 | $39.53 | $41.19 | $35.18 | $29.66 | $24.44 |
| Tangible book value per share | $80.56 | $63.33 | $50.88 | $54.14 | $44.18 | $35.17 | $36.74 | $35.06 | $29.66 | $24.44 |
| Dividends per share | $5.53 | $4.91 | $20.33 | $2.81 | $3.37 | $12.94 | $3.33 | $2.34 | $1.56 | $8.85 |
| Capex per share | $14.48 | $12.36 | $10.59 | $9.73 | $8.75 | $8.07 | $6.33 | $6.77 | $6.72 | $5.67 |
| Debt per share | $19.30 | $22.98 | $22.37 | $23.71 | $24.52 | $25.67 | $24.97 | $16.30 | $15.78 | $15.10 |
| Shares outstanding | 444.4M | 444.8M | 444.8M | 444.5M | 444.8M | 444.3M | 443.9M | 442.9M | 441.8M | 440.9M |
| Change in shares outstanding | −0.1% | +0.0% | +0.1% | −0.1% | +0.1% | +0.1% | +0.2% | +0.2% | +0.2% | −0.1% |
| Returns & profitability | ||||||||||
| Return on equity (ROE) | 28.4% | 30.7% | 30.3% | 27.5% | 30.6% | 27.9% | 23.6% | 25.5% | 26.2% | 23.4% |
| Return on invested capital (ROIC) | 37.3% | 33.4% | 32.8% | 29.4% | 31.5% | 31.0% | 27.9% | 28.1% | 26.2% | 22.9% |
| Return on assets (ROA) | 11.1% | 11.0% | 10.6% | 9.5% | 9.5% | 8.7% | 7.9% | 8.5% | 8.1% | 7.7% |
| Return on tangible assets | 10.4% | 10.6% | 10.7% | 9.3% | 9.3% | 8.7% | 7.5% | 8.1% | 7.7% | 7.4% |
| Free cash flow margin | 3.1% | 2.8% | 2.6% | 2.8% | 1.5% | 2.7% | 3.6% | 2.2% | 2.0% | 3.3% |
| Income quality (OCF / net income) | 1.72 | 1.65 | 1.54 | 1.76 | 1.26 | 1.79 | 2.21 | 1.74 | 1.84 | 2.51 |
| Financial health | ||||||||||
| Total debt | $8.58B | $10.22B | $9.95B | $10.54B | $10.91B | $11.41B | $11.09B | $7.22B | $6.97B | $6.66B |
| Cash & short-term investments | $21.30B | $15.28B | $11.14B | $15.23B | $11.05B | $12.18B | $13.30B | $9.44B | $7.26B | $5.78B |
| Net debt | −$12.72B | −$5.06B | −$1.20B | −$4.70B | −$143.0M | −$768.0M | −$2.22B | −$2.23B | −$285.0M | $880.0M |
| Debt / equity | 0.24 | 0.35 | 0.42 | 0.42 | 0.53 | 0.65 | 0.61 | 0.46 | 0.53 | 0.62 |
| Debt / assets | 0.10 | 0.13 | 0.14 | 0.15 | 0.17 | 0.19 | 0.20 | 0.16 | 0.17 | 0.18 |
| Net debt / EBITDA | −0.89 | −0.38 | −0.10 | −0.44 | −0.01 | −0.09 | −0.31 | −0.35 | −0.05 | 0.16 |
| Current ratio | 1.06 | 1.03 | 0.97 | 1.07 | 1.02 | 1.00 | 1.13 | 1.01 | 1.02 | 0.99 |
| Quick ratio | 0.62 | 0.55 | 0.44 | 0.57 | 0.46 | 0.52 | 0.64 | 0.52 | 0.46 | 0.43 |
| Interest coverage | 80.6 | 67.4 | 54.9 | 50.7 | 49.3 | 39.2 | 34.0 | 31.6 | 28.2 | 30.7 |
| Working capital | $2.63B | $1.27B | −$1.22B | $2.30B | $698.0M | $64.0M | $3.28B | $248.0M | $363.0M | −$178.0M |
| Invested capital | $23.08B | $24.10B | $22.43B | $20.36B | $20.50B | $16.80B | $16.07B | $13.36B | $12.82B | $11.66B |
| Tangible asset value | $35.80B | $28.17B | $22.63B | $24.06B | $19.65B | $16.14B | $16.73B | $15.53B | $13.10B | $11.08B |
| Net current asset value | −$6.66B | −$9.55B | −$11.96B | −$8.06B | −$10.82B | −$11.69B | −$8.73B | −$6.33B | −$7.44B | −$7.95B |
| Graham number | $193.98 | $163.89 | $140.69 | $134.01 | $117.14 | $100.11 | $91.41 | $80.87 | $68.80 | $57.81 |
| Graham net-net per share | −$43.45 | −$47.64 | −$53.29 | −$41.99 | −$49.10 | −$46.26 | −$36.64 | −$30.53 | −$31.00 | −$30.61 |
| Capital allocation | ||||||||||
| Dividends paid | $2.46B | $2.18B | $9.04B | $1.25B | $1.50B | $5.75B | $1.48B | $1.04B | $689.0M | $3.90B |
| Share buybacks (net) | $848.0M | $903.0M | $700.0M | $676.0M | $439.0M | $496.0M | $196.0M | $247.0M | $328.0M | $469.0M |
| Dividend payout ratio | 26.6% | 27.0% | 122.7% | 19.9% | 25.6% | 114.8% | 37.0% | 28.4% | 22.0% | 145.7% |
| Dividends + buybacks / free cash flow | 35.2% | 39.4% | 146.9% | 28.6% | 55.3% | 116.3% | 27.7% | 38.3% | 36.3% | 103.5% |
| Capex / revenue | 2.1% | 2.0% | 1.9% | 1.8% | 1.7% | 1.8% | 1.7% | 2.0% | 2.1% | 1.9% |
| Capex / operating cash flow | 40.7% | 41.2% | 41.5% | 39.1% | 52.6% | 40.1% | 31.7% | 47.2% | 51.4% | 37.2% |
| Capex / depreciation | 2.41 | 2.27 | 2.11 | 2.08 | 2.05 | 2.01 | 1.71 | 2.01 | 2.07 | 1.83 |
| Stock-based compensation / revenue | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% |
| SG&A / revenue | — | 9.1% | 9.0% | 8.9% | 8.7% | 9.2% | 9.5% | 9.9% | 9.8% | 10.1% |
| Efficiency | ||||||||||
| Days sales outstanding | 4.3 | 3.9 | 3.6 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 4.0 | 3.8 |
| Days of inventory on hand | 25.9 | 28.0 | 29.0 | 29.7 | 29.4 | 28.3 | 29.8 | 30.8 | 30.9 | 30.7 |
| Days payables outstanding | 29.3 | 29.8 | 30.3 | 30.3 | 31.2 | 32.6 | 32.6 | 31.5 | 30.9 | 28.1 |
| Cash conversion cycle (days) | 0.9 | 2.1 | 2.3 | 2.7 | 1.4 | -1.1 | 0.6 | 3.2 | 4.0 | 6.4 |
| Receivables turnover | 84.66 | 92.92 | 101.66 | 107.07 | 112.24 | 116.87 | 108.11 | 95.32 | 91.31 | 96.14 |
| Payables turnover | 12.47 | 12.24 | 12.05 | 12.03 | 11.69 | 11.21 | 11.21 | 11.60 | 11.82 | 12.99 |
| Inventory turnover | 14.12 | 13.05 | 12.60 | 12.30 | 12.41 | 12.90 | 12.26 | 11.85 | 11.80 | 11.90 |
| Asset turnover | 3.65 | 3.75 | 3.67 | 3.64 | 3.68 | 3.41 | 3.30 | 3.54 | 3.67 | 3.71 |
| Average receivables | $3.58B | $2.96B | $2.50B | $2.26B | $2.02B | $1.68B | $1.54B | $1.60B | $1.55B | $1.34B |
| Average payables | $21.19B | $19.60B | $18.45B | $17.67B | $17.06B | $15.22B | $12.93B | $11.46B | $10.42B | $8.61B |
| Average inventory | $18.72B | $18.38B | $17.65B | $17.28B | $16.06B | $13.23B | $11.82B | $11.22B | $10.44B | $9.40B |
| Intangibles / total assets | 0.0% | 1.3% | 1.4% | 1.4% | 1.5% | 3.3% | 3.6% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
Computed from COST's annual financial statements (latest annual report filed October 7, 2026) and the closing share price on each fiscal year-end, adjusted for stock splits. Figures in U.S. dollars; data from EODHD. Averages use the opening and closing balance of each year.
COST valuation and financial ratios
At the end of fiscal 2026 (August 31, 2026), Costco traded at 45.5 times earnings, against a 10-year median of 39.3. Based on the latest twelve months, the trailing P/E is 47.6 and the forward P/E is 40.3. Costco earned a return on equity of 28.4% and a return on invested capital of 37.3% in fiscal 2026. It ended the year with $8.6 billion of debt and $21.3 billion in cash and short-term investments, a net cash position of $12.7 billion. It returned $3.3 billion to shareholders: $2.5 billion in dividends and $848.0 million in share buybacks, 35% of free cash flow.
See the COST income statement, the COST chart for price history, or the COST stock overview for the latest quote and news.
COST key metrics FAQ
What is Costco's P/E ratio?
Costco's trailing P/E ratio is 47.6 based on the last twelve months of earnings (as of October 18, 2026), and its forward P/E is 40.3. At the end of fiscal 2026 it was 45.5, compared with a 10-year median of 39.3.
What is Costco's EV/EBITDA?
Costco's enterprise value was 28.3 times EBITDA at the end of fiscal 2026 (enterprise value $406.8 billion, EBITDA $14.4 billion); the current EV/EBITDA is 26.9.
What is Costco's return on equity?
Costco's return on equity (ROE) was 28.4% in fiscal 2026: net income of $9.2 billion on average shareholders' equity of $32.5 billion.
What is Costco's ROIC?
Costco's return on invested capital was 37.3% in fiscal 2026, using after-tax operating income divided by average debt plus equity minus cash.
How much debt does Costco have?
Costco had total debt of $8.6 billion at the end of fiscal 2026, a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.24 and more cash than debt.
What is Costco's dividend yield?
Costco's forward dividend yield is 0.59%. Costco paid $2.5 billion in dividends in fiscal 2026 ($5.53 per share), a payout ratio of 26.6%.
Does Costco buy back its shares?
Yes. Costco spent $848.0 million on net share repurchases in fiscal 2026 Shares outstanding changed −0.1% over the year, to 444.4M..
What is Costco's free cash flow yield?
Costco generated $9.4 billion of free cash flow in fiscal 2026, a free cash flow yield of 2.2% on its market value at year-end ($419.5 billion).
What is Costco's current ratio?
Costco's current ratio was 1.06 at the end of fiscal 2026: current assets were 1.06 times current liabilities.