Costco Wholesale COST Ratios & Valuation
| Q3 '26 | Q2 '26 | Q1 '26 | Q4 '25 | Q3 '25 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profitability | ||||||
| Gross margin | 12.9%+0.1pp | 12.9%+0.3pp | 12.9%+0.2pp | 12.8%+0.2pp | 12.8%+0.3pp | |
| Operating margin | 3.8%+0.1pp | 3.8%+0.1pp | 3.8%+0.1pp | 3.8%+0.1pp | 3.8%+0.2pp | |
| Net margin | 3%+0.1pp | 3%+0.1pp | 3%0.0pp | 2.9%0.0pp | 2.9%+0.1pp | |
| Returns | ||||||
| Return on equity | 29.2%-2.9pp | 29.7%-3.2pp | 30.3%+0.4pp | 30.7%+0.4pp | 32.1%+0.4pp | |
| Return on invested capital | 50.6%+3.0pp | 49.4%+3.5pp | 48.5%+1.2pp | 42.7%+10.9pp | 47.7%+14.5pp | |
| Efficiency | ||||||
| Asset turnover | 3.6×-0.1× | 3.6×-0.1× | 3.6×+0.1× | 3.7×+0.1× | 3.7×0.0× | |
| Liquidity | ||||||
| Current ratio | 1.1×+0.1× | 1.1×+0.1× | 1×+0.1× | 1×+0.1× | 1×+0.1× | |
| Leverage | ||||||
| Debt-to-equity | 0.2×-0.1× | 0.3×-0.1× | 0.3×-0.1× | 0.3×-0.1× | 0.3×-0.1× | |
| Per Share | ||||||
| Book value per share | $75.40+23.6% | $72.20+25.6% | $68.17+24.0% | $65.57+23.4% | $60.99+24.6% | |
| Valuation | ||||||
| Market capitalization | $424.14B-6.1% | $448.66B-3.6% | $404.88B-6.0% | $418.34B+5.7% | $451.58B+25.8% | |
| Price / earnings | 48×-9.6× | 52.5×-8.6× | 48.8×-8.1× | 51.7×-2.0× | 57.6×+7.5× | |
| Price / sales | 1.4×-0.2× | 1.6×-0.2× | 1.4×-0.2× | 1.5×0.0× | 1.7×+0.3× | |
| Price / book | 12.7×-4.0× | 14×-4.2× | 13.4×-4.3× | 14.3×-2.4× | 16.6×+0.2× | |
| Dividend yield | 0.7%— | 0.6%— | 0.6%— | 0.5%— | —— |
Chart any of these lines over time, or line them up against competitors.
Compare these in charts →Questions, answered.
- What are Costco Wholesale's profit margins?
- Costco Wholesale (COST) runs a 12.9% gross margin and a 3.8% operating margin, with a 3.0% net margin.
- Where do Costco Wholesale's ratios come from?
- Every ratio is computed from Costco Wholesale's SEC filings — trailing-twelve-month flows over period-end balances. Valuation multiples combine those fundamentals with market data, recomputed each period. Switch between quarterly, annual, and TTM, or open any ratio for its full history and peer comparisons.
