Costco Wholesale Corporation COST 904.70 +58.82% NMS · Consumer Defensive
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Costco Wholesale Corporation (cost)

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COST — Company Overview

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) trades on NMS as part of the Consumer Defensive peer group (Discount Stores).

TickerCOST
SectorConsumer Defensive
IndustryDiscount Stores
ExchangeNMS
Market cap$401.22B
Last price$904.70
Size categoryMega Cap

COST — Business Description

COST represents a Discount Stores business in the Consumer Defensive segment. Costco Wholesale Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the operation of membership warehouses in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Japan, the United Kingdom, Korea, Australia, Taiwan, China, Spain, France, Iceland, New Zealand, and Sweden. It offers merchandise, including sundries, dry groceries, candies, coolers, freezers, deli, liquor, and tobacco; non-food merchandise comprising appliances, small electronics, health and beauty aids, hardware, lawn and garden, sporting goods, tires, toys and seasonal, automotive, stamps, tickets, apparel, furniture, domestics, housewares, special order kiosks, and jewelry; and fresh food, such as meat, produce, service deli, and bakery product…

Official website: https://www.costco.com.

COST — Investment Thesis

At a high level, COST offers exposure to Consumer Defensive with metrics outlined below from public market data.

See the free estimates and earnings pages for public targets and growth metrics. Ownership, live news, and deeper models remain in Vest Terminal.

COST — Financial Health

Key financial health indicators for Costco Wholesale Corporation are derived exclusively from public data — no proprietary estimates.

Profit margin near 3.0% leaves a narrower cushion versus higher-margin peers. Positive free cash flow of $6.95B supports balance-sheet flexibility.

Trailing P/E45.51×
Forward P/E39.99×
Price / Sales1.37×
Price / Book11.97×
Gross margin12.9%
Operating margin4.0%
Profit margin3.0%
Return on equity29.2%
Debt / Equity24.57
Free cash flow$6.95B

COST — Growth Outlook

Growth outlook for Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) depends on demand trends in Discount Stores and the company's ability to convert revenue into sustainable earnings.

COST — Competitive Position

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) is evaluated against peers on scale, margin structure, and capital efficiency within Consumer Defensive.

COST — Strengths

Strengths for Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) inferred from public financial metrics:

COST — Weaknesses

Weaknesses and pressure points for Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) based on available data:

COST — Opportunities

COST — Risks

COST — Summary

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) is a mega-cap Consumer Defensive company focused on Discount Stores, listed on NMS. Last price $904.70 with market cap $401.22B. Trailing P/E 45.51×. Revenue grew 11.6% year-over-year per public data. Notable strengths include revenue growth of 11.6% year-over-year. Key watch items include elevated trailing p/e (45.51×) limits valuation margin of safety. Premium Terminal tools for Costco Wholesale Corporation add ownership analytics, news, and richer estimate history beyond this public summary.

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Costco Wholesale Corporation FAQ

What does Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) do?

Costco Wholesale Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the operation of membership warehouses in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Japan, the United Kingdom, Korea, Australia, Taiwan, China, Spain, France, Iceland, New Zealand, and Sweden. It offe…

What is COST's P/E ratio?

Costco Wholesale Corporation has a trailing P/E of 45.51× based on publicly available market data.

Does COST pay a dividend?

Indicated dividend yield: 0.7%. Confirm ex-dates and payout history in Vest Terminal.

What sector is COST in?

Costco Wholesale Corporation is classified in Consumer Defensive (Discount Stores) on NMS.

What is COST's market capitalization?

Approximate market cap: $401.22B.

What are the main risks for COST?

Key risks include elevated valuation, among factors on this page.

What are the strengths of COST?

Potential positives include revenue growth of 11.6% year-over-year, earnings growth of 15.2% year-over-year.

Where can I get analyst estimates for COST?

Public analyst price targets and consensus for Costco Wholesale Corporation are on the free /stocks/cost/estimates page. Deeper estimate history and models are available in Vest Terminal.