Costco Wholesale Corporation(COST)
NASDAQ
$947.92
5.67 (0.60%)

Costco Wholesale Corporation(COST)Fundamental Analysis & Financials
NASDAQ

Valuation Snapshot

What the multiples imply about expectations

The market considers the company to be a large-cap player with a significant market presence. At current multiples, it trades at a premium—reflecting strong brand and market position, but leaving limited room for disappointment.

Valuation Metrics

Ratios and multiples

Forward P/E
41.66
EV/Revenue (TTM)1.39
Price/FCF (TTM)58.60

Financial Health

Liquidity and leverage

ROE (TTM)29.15%
ROA (TTM)8.67%
Debt/Equity (MRQ)0.60

The company's financial health appears excellent. High ROE and strong ROA reflect highly efficient capital use. Debt is manageable within acceptable ranges.

Valuation Multiples

Current valuation metrics

P/E Ratio46.36
P/B Ratio24.65
P/S Ratio1.39
EV/EBITDA29.49
PEG Ratio4.53

Quarterly Earnings History

Recent quarterly financial performance and trends

Latest Quarter
Q2 2026
Revenue
$70.53B
Net Income
$2.19B
EPS (Diluted)
$4.93
QuarterRevenueNet IncomeGross ProfitEPS (Basic)EPS (Diluted)Gross MarginNet Margin
Q2 2026(Latest)$70.53B$2.19B$9.01B$4.94$4.9312.8%3.1%
Q1 2026$69.60B$2.04B$8.88B$4.58$4.5812.8%2.9%
Q4 2025$67.31B$2.00B$8.80B$4.51$4.5013.1%3.0%
Q3 2025$86.16B$2.61B$11.12B$5.88$5.8712.9%3.0%
Q2 2025$63.21B$1.90B$8.21B$4.29$4.2813.0%3.0%

Key Insights:

  • Revenue increased by 1.3% from previous quarter
  • Net margin of 3.1% indicates low profitability
  • EPS improved by 7.6% quarter-over-quarter

Financial Efficiency

Utilization and collections performance

Asset Turnover 3.81 indicates high efficiency. Receivables Turnover 91.66 and DSO 3.98 reflect excellent collections. Working Capital Turnover 230.81 is highly efficient. ROIC 25.3% highlights strong capital returns.

Efficiency Metrics

Asset Turnover3.81
Receivables Turnover91.66
Working Capital Turnover230.81
Days Sales Outstanding3.98
Days Inventory Outstanding27.56
ROIC (TTM)25.3%
Inventory Turnover13.24
Cash Conversion Cycle1.45

Profitability & Growth

Margins and earnings power

Revenue (TTM)
$293.59B
21.50% YoY
Profit Margin (TTM)
3.01%
Operating Margin (TTM)
3.67%
Gross Profit (TTM)
$37.80B
Gross Margin 12.88%
EBITDA (TTM)
$13.79B
EBITDA Margin 4.70%
Net Income (TTM)
$8.84B
Earnings 45.50% YoY

Efficiency Performance Matrix

4-quadrant analysis of operational efficiency vs profitability

Efficiency vs Profitability Quadrants

High Efficiency
High Margin
High Efficiency
Low Margin
Low Efficiency
High Margin
Low Efficiency
Low Margin

Efficiency Analysis

Asset Turnover
Efficiency:3.81x
Margin:12.9%
Quadrant:Efficiency-Driven
Receivables Turnover
Efficiency:91.66x
Margin:3.7%
Quadrant:Efficiency-Driven
Working Capital
Efficiency:230.81x
Margin:3.0%
Quadrant:Efficiency-Driven
Overall Efficiency Score

Mixed efficiency profile requiring targeted improvements

⚠️ Thresholds are benchmark-based heuristics derived from long-term industry averages, not strict valuation rules.

• Bubble size represents ROIC magnitude

• Green (Optimal): Excellent efficiency-profitability balance

• Blue (Efficiency-Driven): High turnover, room to improve margins

• Yellow (Margin-Driven): Strong margins, opportunity to improve efficiency

• Red (Weak Operations): Areas needing improvement on both dimensions

Market Data & Share Structure

Comprehensive valuation metrics and ownership breakdown

Market Data & Capitalization

Market Cap
$420.18B
Mega-cap: Premium liquidity & institutional favorite
Enterprise Value
$407.46B
EV ≈ Market Cap: Balanced capital structure
Next Earnings Date
12/10/2026
Scheduled quarterly results announcement

Share Statistics & Ownership

Shares Outstanding
443.27M
Total shares issued and held by all shareholders
Shares Float
442.39M
100% float - widely available
Institutional Ownership
74.43%
High - professional investor base
Insider Ownership
0.08%
Low alignment - professional management
Shares Short
7.36M
1.7% of float - minimal short interest
Implied Shares Outstanding
443.27M
Matches reported shares - consistent data

Profitability Margin Pyramid

Hierarchical view of margin compression from revenue to net income

Margin Hierarchy by Profitability Level

100.0%
Revenue
$293.59B
12.9%
Gross Profit
$37.80B
4.7%
EBITDA
$13.79B
3.0%
Net Income
$8.84B
Margin Profile:
Revenue— 100.0% margin (Top line revenue generation)
Gross Profit— 12.9% margin (Revenue minus cost of goods sold)
EBITDA— 4.7% margin (Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization)
Net Income— 3.0% margin (Bottom line profitability after all expenses)

Margin Analysis

Total Revenue

Amount:$293.59B
Margin:100.0%
Top line revenue generation

Gross Profit

Amount:$37.80B
Margin:12.9%
Revenue minus cost of goods sold

EBITDA

Amount:$13.79B
Margin:4.7%
Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization

Net Income

Amount:$8.84B
Margin:3.0%
Bottom line profitability after all expenses

Margin Quality Assessment

Thin margins indicating potential profitability challenges

• Larger circles represent higher dollar amounts

• Margin percentages show profitability at each level

• Blue: Revenue base

• Green: Gross profitability

• Yellow: Operating performance

• Red: Net profitability

Operating Cash & Liquidity

Core cash generation and short-term solvency

Cash Flow Analysis

Operating Cash Flow (TTM)

$15.00B

Cash from core operations

Free Cash Flow (TTM)

$6.95B

Available after capex

Financial Position & Liquidity

Current Ratio

1.07

Adequate

Quick Ratio

0.56

Weak

Net Cash

$898.00M

Net creditor

Total Cash

$11.13B

Balance sheet cash

Total Debt

$10.23B

Outstanding borrowings

Cash Conversion Cycle

Working capital efficiency measurement

Days Sales Outstanding

4.0

days to collect payment

Days Inventory Outstanding

27.6

days to turn inventory

Cash Conversion Cycle

1.4

net days of cycle

Excellent cash conversion — working capital cycles very efficiently.

Ownership & Shareholder Sentiment

Insider, institutional, and short interest positions

Insider Ownership

0.08%

Minimal stake

Institutional Ownership

74.43%

Majority backing

Short % of Float

1.66%

Minimal short

Short Ratio (Days)

3.8d

days to cover

Ownership structure shows limited insider stake and institutional majority backing.

Dividends & Shareholder Returns

Policy stance and implications

The company does not currently pay a regular dividend — prioritizing reinvestment for growth. This makes it attractive for growth investors, while income-oriented investors may prefer peers with dividend payouts.

Payout Ratio
26.69%
Trailing Dividend Rate
0
Trailing Dividend Yield
0.00%
5 Year Avg Dividend Yield
0.59%
Forward Annual Dividend Rate
5.88
Forward Annual Dividend Yield
0.62%
Ex-Dividend Date
07/24/2026
Last Split
01/14/2000 (2.00)