Stock Analysis
Costco Wholesale CorpCOST
P/E 49.63×· 5Y range 32.81–63.24×· 62th percentile of history
Sector: Consumer Defensive · Industry: Discount Stores
AnalystsBuy46 analystsP/E 49.6× sits at the 62nd percentile of its 5.089664613278576-year history.
Cash covers 321% of debt · Q2 2026.
PMP Verdict
High quality, fairly valued
Strengths
- Quality94
- Financial Health87
Strong fundamentals at a reasonable valuation.
Bull Case
- ✓Piotroski F-Score 7/9 — high earnings quality
- ✓Altman Z 7.4 — safe-zone balance sheet
- ✓ROE 27.5% — efficient capital deployment
- ✓Interest coverage 80.6× — debt well covered
What's happening with COST
Profile
Strong earnings quality and financial health; valuation lags behind.
How is each axis scored?
- Valuation40/100 · Weak
- P/E vs own history (62th pct)5/25
- FCF yield (2.0%)5/25
- P/S (1.5x)25/25
- EV/EBIT (37.8x)5/25
- Growth72/100 · Moderate
- Revenue CAGR (7.5%)12/25
- Net income CAGR (12.1%)20/25
- EPS CAGR 5Y (12.1%)20/25
- Fwd implied growth (24.7%)20/25
- Profitability61/100 · Moderate
- ROIC (45.4%)25/25
- ROE (27.5%)25/25
- Net margin (3.0%)6/25
- Operating margin (3.8%)5/25
- Financial Health87/100 · Strong
- Altman Z (7.40)25/25
- Current ratio (1.06)12/25
- Interest coverage (80.6x)25/25
- Net cash / debt (Net cash)25/25
- Quality94/100 · Strong
- Piotroski F (7/9)22/25
- Beneish M (-4.02)25/25
- FCF conversion (100%)22/25
- Margin stability (σ 0.3%)25/25
- Moat62/100 · Moderate
- ROIC >12% years (9/9 yrs)25/25
- Median gross margin (12.9%)0/25
- FCF-positive years (10/10 yrs)25/25
- Worst-year net margin (worst 2.1%)12/25
About Costco Wholesale Corp
Founded in 1983, Costco Wholesale now operates a global chain of membership-based warehouse clubs, delivering high-quality goods and services at consistently low prices. Show more
As of its most recent fiscal year, Costco operated approximately 910 warehouses, serving more than 80 million members across its three geographic segments: Costco US (approximately 73% of total revenue), Costco Canada (13%), and Costco International (14%).Costco's core value proposition—quality products at unbeatable prices—has yielded consistently strong member renewal rates (93% in the US and Canada and nearly 90% internationally). About 55% of Costco's fiscal 2025 revenue came from its grocery offerings, and another 25% from general merchandise.
Headquarters: ISSAQUAH, WA · Employees: 341,000 · Website ↗
Price History
Weekly Candlestick Chart — up to 5Y
Key Metrics
Financial snapshot · Tap any metric for its definition and grade
TTM Snapshot
trailing twelve months · YoYValuation
40D+P/E (TTM)49.5xD
Grade D: ExpensivePrice / TTM EPS (own statements) — vs own 5Y history: 32.8x–63.2x · 62nd pct
P/FCF47.1xD
Grade D: ExpensivePrice / Free Cash Flow per share (Finnhub). Inverse of FCF yield — negative when FCF is negative
FCF Yield2.0%C
Grade C: LowTTM (OCF − CapEx) / Market Cap — vs own 5Y history: 1.0%–3.5% · 48th pct
P/S (TTM)1.49xA
Grade A: CheapPrice / TTM Revenue (own statements) — vs own 5Y history: 0.9x–1.9x · 67th pct
EV/EBIT37.8xD
Grade D: ExpensiveEnterprise value / TTM EBIT (D&A not in our data) — capital-structure neutral — vs own 5Y history: 23.8x–49.8x · 61st pct
EV/Sales1.4xA
Grade A: CheapEnterprise Value / TTM Revenue (Finnhub) — capital-structure neutral sales multiple
Forward P/E39.7xD
Grade D: ExpensivePrice / next-year EPS estimate — shows whether the TTM multiple is rich or just front-loading growth
P/B Ratio13.63xD
Grade D: Very expensivePrice to Book Value. Neg. equity = heavy buybacks
PEG Ratio3.83D
Grade D: ExpensiveFinnhub PEG — their P/E basis ÷ expected EPS growth. Suppressed when their P/E diverges >2× from our TTM P/E (different basis)
Dividend Yield0.56%A
Grade A: PaysTTM dividend yield (Finnhub) — annual dividends / price. None = no dividend; very high yield can signal distress
Payout Ratio34.9%A
Grade A: SafeDividends / Net Income (Finnhub) — share of earnings paid out; >90% or negative = unsustainable
Profitability
61BROIC45.4%A
Grade A: MoatNOPAT (EBIT less ~21% tax) / invested capital (equity + debt − cash). Flagship quality metric — durable >15% signals a moat
ROE27.5%A
Grade A: StrongReturn on Equity. Neg. equity = heavy buybacks
ROA10.8%A
Grade A: StrongReturn on Assets (Finnhub) — Net Income / Total Assets; how efficiently assets produce profit
Net Margin3.0%D
Grade D: LowNet Income / Revenue
Operating Margin3.8%D
Grade D: LowTTM EBIT / TTM Revenue
Gross Margin12.9%D
Grade D: LowGross Profit / Revenue
FCF Margin3.0%D
Grade D: LowFCF / Revenue
True FCF Margin2.7%D
Grade D: LowTTM (OCF − CapEx − SBC) / TTM Revenue — SBC treated as a real cost
Growth
72B+Revenue CAGR7.5%C
Grade C: OkCompound annual revenue growth (up to 5Y depending on data availability)
Net Income CAGR12.1%C
Grade C: OkCompound annual net income growth (up to 5Y depending on data availability)
EPS CAGR (5Y)12.1%C
Grade C: OkCompound annual EPS growth over up to 5Y of per-share earnings (own statements). Null when either endpoint EPS ≤ 0
Implied EPS Growth24.7%C
Grade C: MedAnalyst forward EPS (normalized basis) vs our GAAP TTM EPS — different bases, so extreme values usually mark cyclically depressed TTM earnings, not real growth
Dilution (5Y)-0.2%B
Grade B: FlatShare count change over 5Y
SBC / Net Income10.3%C
Grade C: MedStock-based comp/Net income. >30% = dilution risk
SBC / Revenue0.3%A
Grade A: LowTTM stock-based comp / TTM Revenue
Financial Health
87AAltman Z-Score7.40A
Grade A: SafeBankruptcy risk. >3 Safe, <1.8 Distress
Current Ratio1.06xC
Grade C: OkCurrent Assets/Liabilities
Quick Ratio0.62xC
Grade C: Ok(Current Assets − Inventory) / Current Liabilities (Finnhub) — stricter liquidity test, excludes inventory
Interest Coverage80.6xA
Grade A: StrongEBIT/Interest. >10 Strong
Debt RepaymentNet CashA
Grade A: FastYears to repay net debt via FCF
Net Debt/EBITNet CashA
Grade A: LowLeverage. <2x Low, >4x High
Debt/Equity0.18xA
Grade A: LowDebt / Equity: <1 Conservative, >2 Risky. Not meaningful with non-positive equity; shown as unavailable rather than low debt.
Cash / Debt3.21xA
Grade A: CoveredCash covers how much of total debt. >1 = could repay all debt from cash
Quality
94A+Piotroski F-Score7/9A
Grade A: StrongFinancial strength 0–9. >7 Strong
Beneish M-Score-4.02A
Grade A: SafeEarnings manipulation risk. < -2.22 Safe
FCF Conversion99.6%A
Grade A: StrongFCF / Net Income
Margin Stability0.3%A
Grade A: StableEBIT margin std deviation. Lower = stable
Capex / Revenue2.1%A
Grade A: Asset-lightTTM CapEx / TTM Revenue — high % = capital-hungry business
Asset Turnover3.55xA
Grade A: HighRevenue / Total Assets (Finnhub) — how efficiently the asset base generates sales
Insider Transactions
SEC Form 4 · 8 recordsP/S codes are the directional signal; grants, option exercises and tax withholding carry none. Form 4 doesn't flag 10b5-1 plans — scheduled sales may appear within open-market sells.
| Trade date | Insider | Transaction | Shares | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Wilcox William Richard Filed | Wilcox William Richard | SellOpen market sale | -1100 | |
Wilcox William Richard Filed | Wilcox William Richard | Tax withholding | -1935 | |
Wilcox William Richard Filed | Wilcox William Richard | Grant / award | +4.1K | |
Jones Teresa A. Filed | Jones Teresa A. | Tax withholding | -1459 | |
Jones Teresa A. Filed | Jones Teresa A. | Grant / award | +4.1K |
Show 3 more filingsShow fewer filings
| Trade date | Insider | Transaction | Shares | Filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Frates Caton Filed | Frates Caton | Tax withholding | -1654 | |
Frates Caton Filed | Frates Caton | Grant / award | +4.6K | |
Riel Pierre Filed | Riel Pierre | Tax withholding | -1562 |
More metrics — Moat, Per Share, Balance Sheet, MarketHide additional metrics
Moat
62BROIC >12% Years9/9 yrsA
Grade A: DurableShare of completed fiscal years with ROIC > 12% — measures multi-year capital-return durability
Gross Margin (Med.)12.9%D
Grade D: WeakMedian annual gross margin across available fiscal years — pricing-power durability
FCF-Positive Years10/10 yrsA
Grade A: DurableShare of completed fiscal years with positive free cash flow
Net Margin Floor2.1%C
Grade C: ModerateWeakest annual net margin across completed fiscal years — recession/downcycle resilience
Per Share
EPS (TTM)$19.93
Own TTM net income / shares — same earnings basis as P/E
Cash / Share$48.05
Cash & short-term investments per share (Finnhub)
Book Value / Share$80.77
Shareholders' equity per share (Finnhub). Negative = accumulated losses / heavy buybacks
Balance Sheet
Total Debt$5.69B
Total debt obligations (short + long term)
Cash & Equiv.$18.24B
Cash and short-term investments
Net Debt$-12.55BA
Grade A: Net CashTotal Debt minus Cash. Negative = Net Cash position
Total Equity$32.09B
Shareholders' equity (book value)
Asset / Liability1.62xC
Grade C: AdequateTotal Assets / Total Liabilities
Market
Market Cap$437.41B
Current Market Capitalization
Beta0.88B
Grade B: MarketPrice sensitivity vs the market (Finnhub) — 1.0 moves with market, >1.2 amplifies swings
How grades work: each metric is graded A–D against fixed thresholds (tap a row for the meaning). Card grades map the pillar score to A+–E — a card grade is that pillar's own score, not an average of the rows shown.
Financials as of Aug 2026 · Ratio snapshot Oct 17, 2026
Key Insights: Costco Wholesale Corp (COST)
COST is up 1.13% at the last close. Costco Wholesale Corp meets 7 of 9 Piotroski F-Score criteria, placing its fundamental strength in the top tier of US-listed stocks. Altman Z-Score of 7.40 sits comfortably in the safe zone (≥ 2.99), indicating low bankruptcy risk.
- Beneish M-Score of -4.02 suggests a low likelihood of earnings manipulation.
- Company is effectively debt-free after netting cash.
- Return on equity of 27.5% is well above the market average.
See how COST ranks on the Capex Tracker — top 50 capital spenders compared.
Earnings
View earnings calendar →Recent Earnings Results
| Date | Time | EPS Est. | EPS Actual | Surprise | Rev Est. | Rev Actual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 24, 2026 | After-Hrs | $6.66 | $6.60 | -0.8% | $96.8B | $95.7B |
Recent Market Moves
See all COST moves →| Date | Session | Price | Move | Z-Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 14 | Regular | 977.89 | +2.44% | 2.29 |
| Oct 14 | After-hours | 981.41 | +2.81% | 2.69 |
| Sep 25 | Regular | 922.60 | +2.91% | 3.79 |
| Sep 25 | After-hours | 921.07 | +2.74% | 3.59 |
Frequently Asked Questions about COST
What is the current Costco Wholesale Corp (COST) stock price?
COST is trading at $989.11 at the last market close, up 1.13% on the session. PreMarketPrice tracks COST pre-market, intraday and after-hours prices.
Is COST stock a buy right now?
PreMarketPrice's quantitative model rates Costco Wholesale Corp's financial health at 87/100. This is a data-driven snapshot of fundamentals, not investment advice.
Is COST stock overvalued?
Costco Wholesale Corp trades at a trailing P/E of 49.5 and our valuation score rates it 40/100 (higher = cheaper vs. its own history). See the Valuation History and Key Metrics sections for forward P/E, EV/EBITDA and PEG context.
When does Costco Wholesale Corp report earnings?
No confirmed earnings date is currently scheduled for COST. The Earnings section lists recent reports and updates as dates are announced.
What sector does Costco Wholesale Corp operate in?
Costco Wholesale Corp operates in the Consumer Defensive sector, within the Discount Stores industry. The Related Stocks section lists sector peers for comparison.
What does Costco Wholesale Corp do?
Founded in 1983, Costco Wholesale now operates a global chain of membership-based warehouse clubs, delivering high-quality goods and services at consistently low prices.
About Costco Wholesale Corp (COST) Stock
Costco Wholesale Corp (COST) is a US-listed stock operating in the Consumer Defensive sector, specifically the Discount Stores industry. As of the latest update, Costco Wholesale Corp is trading at $989.11, up 1.13% on the day with a market capitalization of $437.4 billion. The financial health score for COST is 87/100, which indicates excellent financial strength based on profitability, leverage, liquidity, and growth metrics. This page provides real-time pre-market pricing, earnings calendar, financial health analysis, and valuation metrics for COST stock.
COST Stock Analysis & Key Metrics
On PreMarketPrice, you can track Costco Wholesale Corp (COST) across multiple dimensions:
- Pre-market price & movement: Real-time COST stock price with percentage change, updated continuously during pre-market and regular trading hours.
- Earnings calendar: Upcoming and past earnings reports for COST, including EPS estimates, actual results, and surprise percentages.
- Valuation & P/E history: Historical P/E, P/S, and P/B ratios for COST with trend analysis and normalized valuation multiples.
- Financial statements: Revenue, net income, assets, liabilities, and equity for Costco Wholesale Corp across multiple reporting periods.
- Financial health score: A composite score of 87/100 based on Altman Z-Score, Piotroski F-Score, profitability, and leverage metrics for COST.
- Sector peers: Compare COST against 6 other consumer defensive stocks on key financial metrics.
Is COST a Good Stock to Buy?
This page provides data-driven analysis to help you evaluate Costco Wholesale Corp (COST) as an investment. The financial health score of 87/100 suggests excellent financial fundamentals. Valuation metrics show whether the stock is trading above or below its historical average. Earnings data reveals whether the company is meeting or beating analyst expectations.However, this is not financial advice — always do your own research before investing.
Data on this page is sourced from real-time market feeds, Polygon.io, and Finnhub.Costco Wholesale Corp (COST) trades on NYSE/NASDAQ. Pre-market trading occurs 4:00 AM – 9:30 AM ET. Regular market hours are 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM ET.