COST changes
Pick any two versions below to diff them.
- Price
- $935.68 → $946.92(+1.2%)
- Next earnings
- Dec 24, 2026 → Dec 10, 2026
- Balance sheet
- added: Cash: $21.3B Debt: $6.2B Net cash: $15.1B Interest cover: 80× Debt due within 12 months: $2.3B Ratings: S&P AA (stable outlook) Costco has a net cash balance sheet and uses very little debt. removed: At August 30, 2026, cash and short-term investments were $21.3 billion, against $6.2 billion of long-term debt. $2.25 billion of senior notes matures in May and June 2027. Net cash was about $15.1 billion, before about $2.4 billion of long-term operating lease liabilities. In fiscal 2026, operating income of $11.7 billion covered interest expense of $145 million about 80 times. Much of the cash comes from how the business removed: works. Accounts added: works: accounts payable of $22.6 billion were larger than inventory of $19.3 billion, so suppliers fund the stock on the shelves. Members also pay $3.0 billion of fees in advance. added: Debt is long-term debt at August 30, 2026, and the $2.25 billion due within 12 months is senior notes that mature in May and June 2027. About $2.4 billion of long-term operating lease liabilities are not in the debt. Interest cover is for fiscal 2026. S&P removed: rates added: raised Costco added: to AA removed: with a stable outlook, raised from A+ in January 2025. In fiscal 2026, operating cash flow was $15.8 billion. It paid for $6.4 billion of capital spending, $2.5 billion of regular dividends and $0.8 billion of buybacks. The cash pile still grew by $6.0 billion. This large surplus gives room for another special dividend or more stores. Costco has paid special dividends from such surpluses before, most recently $12 per share in January 2026. As of Aug 30, 2026.
- Checkpoints
- Nov 2026 (estimate): October sales report: comparable sales without gasoline. Pending. Watch: US comparable sales growth excluding gasoline and currency that stays in the mid-single digits or higher passes; a clear slowdown once the gasoline price boost fades fails. Dec removed: 24, added: 10, 2026 (estimate): Q1 fiscal 2027 earnings: renewals, margins, tariffs. Pending. Watch: Worldwide renewal rate near 90% and membership fee growth with stable gross margin despite tariffs pass; falling renewal rates or a margin squeeze from absorbed tariffs fail. Jan 2027 (estimate): Buyback authorization expires; new capital return decision. Pending. Watch: A new buyback authorization or a special dividend paid from the net cash passes; no new program while cash keeps building fails.