# Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) fundamentals

Data as of 2026-11-05. NASDAQ, United States. Sector: Consumer Defensive / Grocery & Drug Retail. Price $1068.30, market value $473.4 billion.

## Valuation
- **P/E (trailing): 51.5×** (5-yr avg 45.2×, 3-yr avg 50.1×). Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at 51.5× trailing earnings, close to its own five-year average of 45.2×. The Consumer Defensive median in the September 2026 study was 20.1×. Forward P/E is 42.7×, lower than trailing, so analysts expect earnings to grow.
- **PEG: 3.05**. A PEG of 3.05 means the P/E is high relative to expected earnings growth; the price already assumes a lot.
- **Price / sales: 1.6×**. Each dollar of revenue is priced at 1.6×.
- **Price / book: 13.2×**. The shares trade at 13.2× book value; most of the value is in earnings power and intangibles rather than the balance sheet.
- **EV / EBITDA: 32.0×**. Enterprise value is 32.0× operating earnings before depreciation, the multiple that ignores how the company is financed; above 20× is demanding.
- **Free-cash-flow yield: 2.0%** (5-yr avg 2.1%). Free cash flow equals 2.0% of the market value, in line with its five-year average of 2.1%.
- **Earnings yield: 1.9%**. The inverse of the P/E: 1.9% of the price is earned each year.

## Profitability
- **Operating margin: 3.9%**. 3.9% of revenue is left after running the business, which leaves little cushion in a downturn.
- **Net margin: 3.0%**. 3.0% of each dollar of sales reaches the bottom line.
- **Return on equity: 25.8%**. 25.8% on shareholders' equity is excellent if it is not driven by leverage; sustained above 20% usually signals a competitive advantage.
- **Return on invested capital: 42.4%**. Return on all capital, debt included, is 42.4%: comfortably above what that capital costs.
- **Return on assets: 10.4%**. Each dollar of assets produces 10.4% of profit.

## Growth
- **Revenue growth (1 yr): 10.1%** (3-yr 7.8%/yr, 5-yr 9.1%/yr). Revenue grew 10.1% over the last year, against 9.1% a year compounded over five years.
- **EPS growth (1 yr): 14.0%** (3-yr 13.6%/yr, 5-yr 13.0%/yr). Earnings per share rose 14.0%, roughly in step with revenue.
- **Free-cash-flow growth (3 yr): 11.6%/yr**. Free cash flow has compounded at 11.6% a year over three years, keeping pace with earnings: the growth is real cash.

## Financial health
- **Debt to equity: 0.17**. Debt is 0.17 times equity: a conservative balance sheet.
- **Net debt / EBITDA: net cash**. Costco Wholesale Corporation holds more cash than debt.
- **Current ratio: 1.06** (quick 1.06). Current assets cover the next year's liabilities 1.06 times.
- **Altman Z-score: 9.66**. A Z-score of 9.66 places the company in the safe zone for bankruptcy risk.
- **Piotroski F-score: 6/9**. 6 of 9 checks pass: mixed.

## Dividends
- **Dividend yield: 0.56%** ($5.54 per share, trailing). Costco Wholesale Corporation yields 0.56%, a modest yield more typical of a growth-oriented payer.
- **Payout ratio: 27%** (26% of free cash flow). 27% of earnings goes out as dividends, leaving room to keep raising it.
- **Consecutive years of increases: 1**. 1 straight year of increases.
- **Dividend growth (5 yr): -16.9%/yr** (1-yr 12.4%). The dividend has not grown over five years.
- **Shareholder yield: 0.7%**. Dividends plus net buybacks return 0.7% of the market value a year.

## Analyst view
- **Analyst consensus: buy** (37 analysts). 37 analysts cover Costco Wholesale Corporation; the consensus is buy, with an average price target of $1067.59 (-0% from the current price). Analyst opinion is shown for context; it is not part of the Fundamental Score.

## Price and momentum
- **Total return (1 yr): 11.7%** (YTD 21.9%, 3-mo 11.1%). The shares are up 11.7% over twelve months including dividends.
- **From 52-week high: -2.6%** (26.6% above the low). Trading within 5% of its 52-week high.
- **200-day average: above**. The price sits above its 200-day moving average, the usual definition of an uptrend.
- **RSI (14-day): 69**. An RSI of 69 is neutral.
- **Beta (1 yr): -0.16** (volatility 20%). Beta of -0.16 against the S&P 500: the shares move much less than the market.

Live score and charts: https://foliofundamentals.com/analyzer?s=COST · Page: https://foliofundamentals.com/stocks/cost

Not investment advice.