Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) Stock Price & Analysis
Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) is trading at USD 1,005.35, down 1.26% today, as of October 23, 2026 at 16:39 UTC (US market open; quotes may be delayed), according to Nexqual market data.
COST last closed at USD 1,018.21; today's session has ranged USD 1,004.61–1,021.45 on volume of 606,225 shares. Market capitalization is $445.50B, with a 52-week range of USD 844.06–1,096.5 (NMS). Source: Nexqual, retrieved October 23, 2026 at 16:40 UTC.
Also available as compact Markdown for AI agents: nexqual.com/COST.md
Key facts (COST)
- Last four reported quarters (through Aug 30, 2026): revenue $303B, net income $9.23B (3.0% margin), free cash flow $9.38B (SEC filings).
- Valuation: P/E 48.3x (avg 50.3x at the last 3 fiscal year-ends), EV/EBITDA 30.0x, net cash $15.1B.
- 7 of 80 tracked superinvestors hold COST (13F, Q2 2026 (1 investor on Q3 2026, filed early)): 0 new, 0 added, 3 reduced, 4 unchanged.
- Insider open-market sales, last ~7 months: 4 Form 4 filings, $4.6M; 4 not under a Rule 10b5-1 plan ($4.6M); 2 by opportunistic insiders (2 outside 10b5-1 plans), 0 by routine insiders (three-year test, Cohen, Malloy & Pomorski 2012).
- Analysts: Buy (mean 2.32 on a 1–5 scale) (41 analysts), mean target USD 1,067.59 (range 770–1,315).
- Total return with dividends: 1Y +7.3% vs S&P 500 +14.6%; 5Y +115.5% vs S&P 500 +77.3%.
- Next earnings: 2026-12-10, EPS estimate USD 4.91, revenue estimate $74.2B.
Financials (SEC 10-K; TTM = last four 10-Q/10-K quarters) (COST)
| USD | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 | FY2026 | TTM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $227B | $242B | $254B | $275B | $303B | $303B |
| Gross profit | $27.6B | $29.7B | $32.1B | $35.3B | $38.9B | — |
| Operating income | $7.79B | $8.11B | $9.29B | $10.4B | $11.7B | $11.7B |
| Net income | $5.84B | $6.29B | $7.37B | $8.10B | $9.23B | $9.23B |
| EPS (diluted) | $13.14 | $14.16 | $16.56 | $18.21 | $20.76 | — |
| Free cash flow | $3.50B | $6.75B | $6.63B | $7.84B | $9.38B | $9.38B |
| Gross margin | 12.1% | 12.3% | 12.6% | 12.8% | 12.8% | — |
| Operating margin | 3.4% | 3.3% | 3.6% | 3.8% | 3.9% | 3.9% |
| Net margin | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 3.0% | 3.0% |
| Revenue growth | +15.8% | +6.8% | +5.0% | +8.2% | +10.1% | — |
| Cash + short-term investments | $11.0B | $15.2B | $11.1B | $15.3B | $21.3B | — |
| Total debt | $6.56B | $6.46B | $5.90B | $5.79B | $6.16B | — |
Fiscal years end Aug. EPS is split-adjusted.
Valuation (price ÷ last four quarters, through Aug 30, 2026) (COST)
P/E 48.3x · P/S 1.5x · EV/EBITDA 30.0x · EV/Sales 1.4x · P/FCF 47.5x · P/B 12.4x · FCF yield 2.11% · Earnings yield 2.07% · Dividend yield (paid, TTM) 0.55% · Buyback yield (TTM) 0.19% · Net cash $15.1B · EV $430B
P/E at fiscal year-ends: Aug 2026 45.5x, Aug 2025 51.8x, Sep 2024 53.5x.
Superinvestors (SEC 13F-HR, Q2 2026) (COST)
7 of 80 tracked investors hold COST (1 investor on Q3 2026, filed early). Each row is the investor's latest 13F; change is vs their prior-quarter share count.
| Investor | Firm | % of portfolio | Value | Change | Quarter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christopher Bloomstran | Semper Augustus | 0.35% | $3.1M | Reduced -0.4% | Q2 2026 |
| Thomas Gayner | Markel Group | 0.28% | $36.6M | Unchanged | Q2 2026 |
| Torray Funds | 0.08% | $587K | Unchanged | Q2 2026 | |
| Thomas Russo | Gardner Russo & Quinn | 0.04% | $3.2M | Reduced -26.5% | Q2 2026 |
| David Katz | Matrix Asset Advisors | 0.04% | $501K | Unchanged | Q3 2026 |
| Mairs & Power | Mairs & Power Funds | 0.03% | $2.8M | Unchanged | Q2 2026 |
| Bill Nygren | Oakmark Funds | <0.01% | $335K | Reduced -1.1% | Q2 2026 |
Insider sales (SEC Form 4, open-market, last ~7 months) (COST)
0 of 4 under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan (scheduled in advance). Unplanned sales were timed by the insider.
| Trade date | Insider | Role | Shares | Value | % of holdings sold | 10b5-1 plan | Insider type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-13 | Wilcox William Richard | Executive Vice President | 1,100 | $1.1M | 26.2% | No | Too little history (no open-market trades in 2023 or 2024) |
| 2026-09-29 | Frates Caton | Sr. Executive Vice President | 801 | $733K | 9.2% | No | Opportunistic (traded every year 2023–2025, no repeating month) |
| 2026-09-29 | Adamo Claudine | Executive Vice President | 2,200 | $2.0M | 23.6% | No | Opportunistic (traded every year 2023–2025, no repeating month) |
| 2026-06-23 | Denman Kenneth D | Director | 885 | $847K | 15.6% | No | Too little history (no open-market trades in 2023 or 2025) |
% of holdings sold = shares sold ÷ (shares sold + all holdings the insider reported on that Form 4, direct and through trusts).
Insider type follows Cohen, Malloy & Pomorski (Journal of Finance, 2012). An insider who traded the stock in the same calendar month in each of the past three years is a routine trader; one who traded in each of those years without such a pattern is an opportunistic trader. In their study, trades by opportunistic insiders predicted future returns and trades by routine insiders did not. Counts open-market purchases and sales only (SEC Form 4 codes P and S) by that insider in that company. Not investment advice.
Analysts (COST)
Consensus Buy (mean 2.32 on a 1–5 scale), 41 analysts; mean target USD 1,067.59 (low 770, high 1,315).
Rating changes, last 120 days:
| Date | Firm | Action | Rating | Price target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-21 | CICC | Initiated | Outperform | $1050 |
| 2026-10-15 | Tigress Financial | Target raised | Buy | $1065 → $1250 |
| 2026-10-09 | RBC Capital | Reiterated | Sector Perform | $1000 |
| 2026-09-28 | Deutsche Bank | Target lowered | Buy | $1091 → $1079 |
| 2026-09-28 | Argus Research | Reiterated | Buy | $1230 |
| 2026-09-25 | Freedom Broker | Target lowered | Buy | $1030 → $1010 |
| 2026-09-25 | Raymond James | Target lowered | Outperform | $1100 → $1050 |
| 2026-09-25 | Roth Capital | Reiterated | Sell | $781 |
| 2026-09-25 | JP Morgan | Target lowered | Overweight | $1100 → $1015 |
| 2026-09-25 | Truist Securities | Target lowered | Hold | $1011 → $955 |
| 2026-09-25 | DA Davidson | Target raised | Neutral | $1000 → $1040 |
| 2026-09-25 | RBC Capital | Reiterated | Sector Perform | $1000 |
Total return (dividends reinvested) (COST)
| 1Y (from 2025-10-23) | 5Y (from 2021-10-25) | |
|---|---|---|
| Total return | +7.3% | +115.5% |
| S&P 500 (SPY) | +14.6% | +77.3% |
| Per year | +7.3% | +16.6% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 19.8% | 23.5% |
| Max drawdown | -18.2% (May 2026→Sep 2026) | -30.5% (Apr 2022→May 2022) |
COST revenue by business segment (quarter ended May 10, 2026)
| Line | Revenue | Share of total | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $51.43B | 72.9% | +11.0% |
| Other International | $9.68B | 13.7% | +13.0% |
| Canada | $9.41B | 13.3% | +13.1% |
| Total revenue | $70.53B | 100% | — |
COST revenue by product line (quarter ended May 10, 2026)
| Line | Revenue | Share of total | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Net sales | $69.15B | 98.1% | +11.6% |
| — Foods & Sundries (part of Net sales) | $26.53B | 37.6% | +5.5% |
| — Non-Foods (part of Net sales) | $17.53B | 24.9% | +9.0% |
| — Warehouse ancillary and other businesses (part of Net sales) | $15.42B | 21.9% | +29.0% |
| — Fresh Foods (part of Net sales) | $9.67B | 13.7% | +10.1% |
| Membership fees | $1.37B | 1.9% | +10.7% |
| Total revenue | $70.53B | 100% | — |
As tagged by the company in its SEC 10-Q / 10-K filings (XBRL).
COST suppliers, customers and competitors (named in its 10-K)
| Relationship | Company | Sentence in the filing |
|---|---|---|
| Competitor | Walmart (WMT) | “Walmart, Target, Kroger, and Amazon are among our significant general merchandise retail competitors in the U.S. We also compete with other warehouse clubs, including Walmart's Sam's Club and BJ's Wholesale Club in the U.S. Many of the metropolitan areas in the U.S. and certain of our Other International locations have multiple competing clubs.” |
| Competitor | Kroger (KR) | “Walmart, Target, Kroger, and Amazon are among our significant general merchandise retail competitors in the U.S. We also compete with other warehouse clubs, including Walmart's Sam's Club and BJ's Wholesale Club in the U.S. Many of the metropolitan areas in the U.S. and certain of our Other International locations have multiple competing clubs.” |
| Competitor | Amazon (AMZN) | “Walmart, Target, Kroger, and Amazon are among our significant general merchandise retail competitors in the U.S. We also compete with other warehouse clubs, including Walmart's Sam's Club and BJ's Wholesale Club in the U.S. Many of the metropolitan areas in the U.S. and certain of our Other International locations have multiple competing clubs.” |
Quoted from the company's 10-K filed Oct 7, 2026.
Companies that name COST in their SEC reports
| Relationship to COST | Company | Filing | Sentence |
|---|---|---|---|
| competitor | VILLAGE SUPER MARKET INC (VLGEA) | 10-K Oct 8, 2026 | “Some of the Company's principal competitors include Acme, Aldi, Amazon/Whole Foods, BJs, Costco, Foodtown, Giant, Kings, Lidl, Safeway, Stop & Shop, Target, Trader Joe's, Walmart, Wegmans and Weis.” |
| supplier | ALLIANCE ENTERTAINMENT HOLDING CORP (AENT) | 10-K Sep 10, 2026 | “Wholesale Club, EBAY, Costco, Vintage Stock, and numerous other customers.” |
| partner | K-TECH SOLUTIONS CO LTD (KMRK) | 20-F Aug 12, 2026 | “deep engagement with key retail partners — such as Walmart, Target, and Costco — has been instrumental” |
| supplier | Marwynn Holdings, Inc. (MWYN) | 10-K Jul 30, 2026 | “We are actively working with Costco and our other customers to introduce new products that are less sensitive to the tariff” |
| partner | Wallbox N.V. (WBX) | 20-F Apr 9, 2026 | “This effort has led to partnerships with well-recognized brands such as Costco, Kia, Free2Move and Generac to provide our products and services.” |
| partner | OOMA INC (OOMA) | 10-K Apr 3, 2026 | “A significant portion of our Ooma Residential and Ooma Business product sales are made through a combination of direct sales and sales through leading retailers such as Amazon, Costco.com, Best Buy and Walmart, as well as reseller partnerships.” |
| supplier | BranchOut Food Inc. (BOF) | 10-K Mar 31, 2026 | “sell our products primarily through large national retail customers in the United States, including Costco and Walmart, with additional” |
| supplier | Purple Innovation, Inc. (PRPL) | 10-K Mar 31, 2026 | “performance with Costco, where our programs provide an important opportunity to introduce Purple to new customers at scale.” |
| supplier | FITLIFE BRANDS, INC. (FTLF) | 10-K Mar 31, 2026 | “Irwin's largest mass market customers are CVS, Walmart, Walgreens, and Costco Canada.” |
| customer | Laird Superfood, Inc. (LSF) | 10-K Mar 30, 2026 | “We sell a substantial portion of our products through retailers such as Costco, through distributors such as United Natural Foods, Inc. and KeHE Distributors, and online through Amazon, and we depend on these third parties to sell our products to consumers.” |
| partner | G III APPAREL GROUP LTD /DE/ (GIII) | 10-K Mar 24, 2026 | “We also partner with a diversified group of retailers such as Macy's, Harley-Davidson, Costco, Kohl's and Ross Stores to develop private-label collections.” |
| supplier | Once Upon a Farm, PBC (OFRM) | 10-K Mar 16, 2026 | “Club: Our customers in this channel include national retailers such as Costco, Sam’s Club, and BJ’s.” |
| supplier | LIFETIME BRANDS, INC (LCUT) | 10-K Mar 12, 2026 | “The Company's products are sold globally to a diverse customer base including mass market merchants (such as Walmart Inc. ("Walmart") and Target), specialty stores (such as Williams Sonoma and Dunelm), department stores (such as Macy's, Kohl's and Belk), warehouse clubs (such as Costco Wholesale Corporation ("Costco"), and BJs), grocery stores (such as Publix, Kroger, Meijer, and Fred Meyer), off-price retailers (…” |
| partner | Traeger, Inc. (COOK) | 10-K Mar 6, 2026 | “Actions include a reduction in force, centralization of our MEATER business into our Salt Lake City infrastructure, discontinuation of the Costco roadshow program, redirection of Traeger.com consumers to retail partners as part of our exit from the Traeger direct-to-consumer business, transition to a distributor model in certain European markets that currently operate under a direct model, and pellet mill consolid…” |
| competitor | Grocery Outlet Holding Corp. (GO) | 10-K Mar 4, 2026 | “We see discount retailers of consumable products, which include Costco, WinCo, Target, Trader Joe's, Aldi and Lidl, as competitors given their broad product offerings at low prices relative to conventional grocery stores.” |
COST analyst estimates and revisions
| Period | EPS estimate | 90 days ago | Change | Revenue estimate | Analysts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current quarter (ends Nov 2026) | $4.91 | $4.86 | +1.0% | $74.24B | 25 |
| Next quarter (ends Feb 2027) | $5.12 | $5.10 | +0.3% | $76.56B | 25 |
| Current fiscal year (ends Aug 2027) | $22.81 | $22.69 | +0.5% | $329.41B | 34 |
| Next fiscal year (ends Aug 2028) | $25.08 | $24.93 | +0.6% | $353.66B | 31 |
Key Statistics (as of October 23, 2026 at 16:40 UTC)
| Price | USD 1,005.35 |
|---|---|
| Change | ▼ 1.26% (down) |
| Previous Close | USD 1,018.21 |
| Open | USD 1,016 |
| Day Range | USD 1,004.61 – 1,021.45 |
| 52-Week Range | USD 844.06 – 1,096.5 |
| Volume | 606,225 shares |
| Market Cap | $445.50B |
| Exchange | NMS |
Technical Analysis (COST)
Nexqual's technical model rates COST "BUY" based on 5 bullish and 2 bearish signals across 128 daily candles, as of October 23, 2026 at 16:40 UTC.
| Overall Signal | BUY |
|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 71.69 (overbought) |
| vs SMA50 | Above (USD 938.91) |
| MACD | 22.3 (positive) |
Analyst Ratings (COST)
Wall Street analysts rate COST "Buy" based on 41 analysts, with a mean price target of USD 1,067.59 (range USD 770–1,315), per Nexqual as of October 23, 2026 at 16:40 UTC.
| Consensus Rating | Buy |
|---|---|
| Analyst Count | 41 |
| Mean Target | USD 1,067.59 |
| High Target | USD 1,315 |
| Low Target | USD 770 |
| Buy / Hold / Sell | 26 / 13 / 2 |
Earnings (COST)
| Next Earnings Date | 2026-12-10 |
|---|---|
| EPS Estimate | USD 4.94 |
| Revenue Estimate | $74.24B |
Recent Earnings History
| Quarter | Actual vs Estimate |
|---|---|
| 2026-08-31 | USD 6.75 vs est 6.53 ▲ beat |
| 2026-05-31 | USD 4.93 vs est 4.92 ▲ beat |
| 2026-02-28 | USD 4.58 vs est 4.54 ▲ beat |
| 2025-11-30 | USD 4.5 vs est 4.28 ▲ beat |
Source: Nexqual, October 23, 2026 at 16:40 UTC.
Financials & Fundamentals (COST)
| Total Revenue | $303.15B |
|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (latest quarter, YoY) | +11.10% |
| Gross Margin | +12.77% |
| Operating Margin | +3.79% |
| Profit Margin | +3.04% |
| ROE | +28.40% |
| Debt / Equity | 0.28 |
| Current Ratio | 1.06 |
| Total Cash | $21.30B |
| Total Debt | $10.18B |
| Free Cash Flow (last four quarters to Aug 2026, SEC 10-Q / 10-K) | $9.38B (3.1% of revenue) |
Source: Nexqual, October 23, 2026 at 16:40 UTC.
Financial Health Score (COST)
Nexqual rates Costco Wholesale Corporation's overall financial health "Mixed" across five dimensions, as of October 23, 2026 at 16:40 UTC.
| Growth | Solid — Revenue +10% YoY (annual) |
|---|---|
| Profitability | Weak — Gross margin 13%, operating 4% (last 12 months) |
| Balance Sheet | Strong — $21.3B cash and investments vs $6.16B debt (Aug 2026, SEC), net cash |
| Cash Flow | Mixed — FCF $9.38B (last 4 quarters to Aug 2026, SEC), slim 3.1% margin |
| Efficiency | Strong — ROE 28%, ROA 8.7% |
Ownership (COST)
| Insider Ownership | +0.08% |
|---|---|
| Institutional Ownership | +74.36% |
| Shares Outstanding | 443.13M |
| Float | 442.25M |
| Short % of Float | +1.65% |
Source: Nexqual, October 23, 2026 at 16:40 UTC.
Leadership (COST)
Costco Wholesale Corporation is led by Ron M. Vachris, President, CEO & Director, per Nexqual as of October 23, 2026 at 16:40 UTC.
| President, CEO & Director | Ron M. Vachris |
|---|---|
| Executive VP & CFO | Gary Millerchip |
| Executive VP & COO of International Division | Pierre Riel |
| Executive Vice President of Administration | Claudine E. Adamo |
| Senior Vice President of Global Sustainability & Compliance | Sheri Flies |
Major Backers & Investors (COST)
Notable institutional backers of Costco Wholesale Corporation include Invesco, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America Corporation, according to Nexqual as of October 23, 2026 at 16:40 UTC.
Active Investors
| Investor | Stake |
|---|---|
| Invesco | 3.16% |
| Morgan Stanley | 2.31% |
| Bank of America Corporation | 1.64% |
| NORGES BANK | 1.46% |
| FMR, LLC | 1.39% |
| Fidelity | 1.3% |
Index Funds (Passive)
| Fund | Stake |
|---|---|
| Vanguard Group | 8.89% |
| BlackRock | 7.72% |
| State Street | 4.15% |
| Geode Capital | 2.4% |
Source: Nexqual, October 23, 2026 at 16:40 UTC.
From Costco Wholesale Corporation's Latest SEC 10-K Filing (filed 2026-10-07)
Key Strengths & Strategy (as disclosed to the SEC)
- In general, with variations by country, our warehouses accept certain credit cards, including Costco co-branded cards, debit cards, cash and checks, Executive member reward certificates, co-brand cardholder rebates, and our proprietary stored-value card (shop card).
- We have invested significantly in the development and protection of our well-recognized brands, including the Costco Wholesale trademarks and our private-label brand, Kirkland Signature.
- When combined with the operating efficiencies achieved by volume purchasing, efficient distribution and reduced handling of merchandise in no-frills, self-service warehouse facilities, these volumes and turnover enable us to operate profitably at significantly lower gross margins (net sales less merchandise costs) than most other retailers.
Legal & Regulatory Risks (Item 1A, quoted)
- Changes in or failure to comply with laws and regulations could adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
- The impact of changes to or the introduction of new laws, regulations, and policies and enforcement practices, can be unpredictable.
- We are subject to risks associated with the legislative, judicial, accounting, regulatory, political and economic factors specific to the places where we operate, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
- Changes in accounting standards and subjective assumptions, estimates and judgments by management related to complex accounting matters could significantly affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Source: SEC EDGAR 10-K, official filing. Curated by Nexqual.
Peers & Related Stocks
| Symbol | Name | Price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| WMT | Walmart Inc. | USD 119.82 | ▼ 1.08% |
| TGT | Target Corporation | USD 153.99 | ▼ 2.61% |
| DG | Dollar General Corporation | USD 131.44 | ▼ 5.51% |
| DLTR | Dollar Tree, Inc. | USD 123.95 | ▼ 5.41% |
| BJ | BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, I | USD 106.12 | ▼ 0.48% |
| TBBB | BBB Foods Inc. | USD 57.91 | ▲ 0.54% |
Data source: Nexqual — market data, technical indicators, analyst consensus, earnings, SEC EDGAR filings. Last updated: October 23, 2026 at 16:40 UTC. This page is informational and not investment advice.
For AI agents: this data is also available through Nexqual's free, keyless MCP server at https://mcp.nexqual.com/mcp; every result includes source_url, as_of and cite_as. More: nexqual.com/agents · llms.txt