Costco (COST) Stock Price, Fundamentals & Analysis

What COST does

Costco (COST) is a US stock in the Consumer Defensive sector, operating in the Discount Stores industry. Headquartered in Issaquah, United States, it runs membership warehouses that sell a wide range of merchandise, from groceries and electronics to apparel and furniture, along with ancillary services such as gasoline, pharmacies, and tire installation. The company also operates e-commerce, business centres, and travel services. With 341,000 employees, Costco is part of the S&P 500 and competes with peers such as Walmart (WMT) and Dollar Tree (DLTR).

Key numbers explained

• The current price is 904.7 USD, up +0.59% today.
• The trailing P/E ratio of 45.5 shows how much investors pay per dollar of the last 12 months' earnings; a higher figure often reflects strong expected growth.
• The forward P/E ratio of 40 uses expected future earnings, giving a sense of valuation relative to what analysts anticipate.
• The dividend yield of 0.65% indicates the annual dividend as a percentage of the share price; Costco pays a modest yield, with 27% of earnings distributed as dividends.
• The beta of 0.86 suggests the stock is less volatile than the overall market.
• The price-to-book ratio of 11.97 compares the market price to the company's book value, a common way to assess whether a stock is priced richly relative to its assets.
• The return on equity of 29.2% measures how effectively the company generates profit from shareholders' equity.
• The debt-to-equity ratio of 24.6% indicates a relatively low level of debt compared to equity.

Recent news

Recent headlines include a look at top research reports for Costco alongside Micron and Interactive Brokers, a piece on Costco's membership fee boost that is about to run out, and a report on a rare mistake made with the company's new delivery service. Another headline questions whether investors should buy, hold, or sell Costco stock before Q4 earnings.

What to watch

For a stock like Costco, investors typically monitor membership fee changes, consumer spending trends, and competitive pressure from peers such as Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP), Constellation Brands (STZ), and Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). Broader factors include inflation, supply chain developments, and shifts in retail e-commerce. The next earnings report, scheduled for Sep 24, 2026, is a key date to watch for updates on revenue and profit trends.