Discontinued — last reported Q4 '25
Retained Earnings
EquityCostco Wholesale Retained Earnings increased by 5.4% to $23.87B in Q4 2025 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric grew by 27.6%, from $18.70B to $23.87B. Over 5 years (FY 2020 to FY 2025), Retained Earnings shows an upward trend with a 20.9% CAGR. This is a positive signal — higher values indicate stronger performance for this metric.
Analysis
How to read this metric
Consistent growth indicates sustained profitability and the ability to self-fund growth, while a decrease may result from net losses or aggressive dividend/buyback programs.
Detailed definition
The cumulative amount of net income that has been reinvested in the business rather than distributed to shareholders as...
Peer comparison
High-growth tech companies may have lower retained earnings if they are younger, while established giants show massive cumulative balances.
retained_earningsHistorical Data
| Q2 '21 | Q3 '21 | Q4 '21 | Q1 '22 | Q2 '22 | Q3 '22 | Q4 '22 | Q1 '23 | Q2 '23 | Q3 '23 | Q4 '23 | Q1 '24 | Q2 '24 | Q3 '24 | Q4 '24 | Q1 '25 | Q2 '25 | Q3 '25 | Q4 '25 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Value | $10.47B | $11.67B | $12.61B | $13.47B | $14.29B | $15.59B | $16.41B | $17.34B | $18.04B | $19.52B | $20.50B | $14.98B | $15.99B | $17.62B | $18.70B | $19.77B | $20.89B | $22.65B | $23.87B |
| QoQ Change | — | +11.5% | +8.1% | +6.9% | +6.1% | +9.0% | +5.3% | +5.7% | +4.0% | +8.2% | +5.0% | -26.9% | +6.7% | +10.2% | +6.1% | +5.7% | +5.7% | +8.4% | +5.4% |
| YoY Change | — | — | — | — | +36.6% | +33.6% | +30.2% | +28.7% | +26.2% | +25.3% | +24.9% | -13.6% | -11.3% | -9.7% | -8.8% | +32.0% | +30.7% | +28.6% | +27.6% |
Retained Earnings at Other Companies
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Costco Wholesale's retained earnings?
- Costco Wholesale (COST) reported retained earnings of $23.87B in Q4 2025.
- How has Costco Wholesale's retained earnings changed year-over-year?
- Costco Wholesale's retained earnings increased by 27.6% year-over-year, from $18.70B to $23.87B.
- What is the long-term trend for Costco Wholesale's retained earnings?
- Over 5 years (2020 to 2025), Costco Wholesale's retained earnings has grown at a 20.9% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $9.23B to $23.87B.
- What does retained earnings mean?
- The total profits the company has kept and reinvested since it started, after paying out any dividends.