In fiscal 2026, which ended Aug 30, 2026, Costco Wholesale Corp /NEW generated $15.8 billion of cash from operations, up 18.6% from the year before. It spent $6.4 billion on capital expenditures. That left free cash flow of $9.4 billion. The company returned $2.5 billion in dividends and $848.0 million in share buybacks to shareholders.
USD in millions, except per-share amounts and ratios. The percent under a figure is the change from the year before.
| Line |
FY 2026
Aug 30, 2026
|
FY 2025
Aug 31, 2025
|
FY 2024
Sep 1, 2024
|
FY 2023
Sep 3, 2023
|
FY 2022
Aug 28, 2022
|
FY 2021
Aug 29, 2021
|
FY 2020
Aug 30, 2020
|
FY 2014
Aug 31, 2014
|
FY 2013
Sep 1, 2013
|
FY 2012
Sep 2, 2012
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating | ||||||||||
| Depreciation and amortization |
2,674
+10.2%
|
2,426
+8.4%
|
2,237
+7.7%
|
2,077
+9.3%
|
1,900
+6.7%
|
1,781
+8.3%
|
1,645
|
1,029
+8.8%
|
946
+4.2%
|
908
+6.2%
|
| Stock-based compensation |
924
+7.4%
|
860
+5.1%
|
818
+5.7%
|
774
+6.9%
|
724
+8.9%
|
665
+7.4%
|
619
|
327
+14.7%
|
285
+18.3%
|
241
+16.4%
|
| Operating cash flow |
15,817
+18.6%
|
13,335
+17.6%
|
11,339
+2.4%
|
11,068
+49.7%
|
7,392
-17.5%
|
8,958
+1.1%
|
8,861
|
3,984
+15.9%
|
3,437
+12.4%
|
3,057
-4.4%
|
| Investing | ||||||||||
| Capital expenditures |
6,435
+17.0%
|
5,498
+16.7%
|
4,710
+9.0%
|
4,323
+11.1%
|
3,891
+8.4%
|
3,588
+27.7%
|
2,810
|
1,993
-4.3%
|
2,083
+40.7%
|
1,480
+14.7%
|
| Investing cash flow |
-6,378
-20.1%
|
-5,311
-20.5%
|
-4,409
+11.3%
|
-4,972
-27.0%
|
-3,915
-10.7%
|
-3,535
+9.1%
|
-3,891
|
-2,093
+7.0%
|
-2,251
-82.1%
|
-1,236
-4.7%
|
| Financing | ||||||||||
| Debt issued |
496
|
0
-100.0%
|
498
|
—
|
0
|
0
-100.0%
|
3,992
|
117
-96.9%
|
3,717
+2759.2%
|
130
|
| Debt repaid |
69
-33.0%
|
103
-90.4%
|
1,077
+1336.0%
|
75
-90.6%
|
800
+751.1%
|
94
-97.1%
|
3,200
|
0
|
0
-100.0%
|
900
|
| Short-term debt issued |
553
-32.2%
|
816
-12.1%
|
928
+1.2%
|
917
|
—
|
41
|
—
|
68
-79.1%
|
326
+186.0%
|
114
+44.3%
|
| Short-term debt repaid |
577
-33.1%
|
862
-6.3%
|
920
-1.6%
|
935
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
103
-64.1%
|
287
+151.8%
|
114
+8.6%
|
| Dividends paid |
2,458
+12.6%
|
2,183
-75.9%
|
9,041
+622.7%
|
1,251
-16.5%
|
1,498
-73.9%
|
5,748
+288.6%
|
1,479
|
584
-83.6%
|
3,560
+698.2%
|
446
+14.7%
|
| Stock buybacks |
848
-6.1%
|
903
+29.0%
|
700
+3.6%
|
676
+54.0%
|
439
-11.5%
|
496
+153.1%
|
196
|
334
+827.8%
|
36
-94.3%
|
632
+1.3%
|
| Financing cash flow |
-3,355
+11.1%
|
-3,775
+64.9%
|
-10,764
-311.8%
|
-2,614
+39.0%
|
-4,283
+34.0%
|
-6,488
-465.6%
|
-1,147
|
-786
-1886.4%
|
44
+101.9%
|
-2,281
-78.6%
|
| Change in cash | ||||||||||
| Effect of exchange rate |
-38
-733.3%
|
6
-85.0%
|
40
+166.7%
|
15
+106.0%
|
-249
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
| Net change in cash |
6,046
+42.1%
|
4,255
+212.2%
|
-3,794
-208.5%
|
3,497
+431.5%
|
-1,055
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
| Free cash flow |
9,382
+19.7%
|
7,837
+18.2%
|
6,629
-1.7%
|
6,745
+92.7%
|
3,501
-34.8%
|
5,370
-11.3%
|
6,051
|
1,991
+47.0%
|
1,354
-14.1%
|
1,577
-17.3%
|
| Per share | ||||||||||
| Free cash flow per share |
21.11
+19.8%
|
17.62
+18.2%
|
14.90
-1.8%
|
15.18
+92.8%
|
7.87
-34.9%
|
12.09
-11.3%
|
13.63
|
4.50
+46.4%
|
3.07
-14.4%
|
3.59
-16.6%
|
| Dividend per share |
5.54
+12.6%
|
4.92
-74.6%
|
19.36
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
—
|
1.33
-83.7%
|
8.17
+693.2%
|
1.03
+15.7%
|
| Shareholder returns | ||||||||||
| Returned to shareholders |
3,306
|
3,086
|
9,741
|
1,927
|
1,937
|
6,244
|
1,675
|
918
|
3,596
|
1,078
|
| Share of free cash flow |
35.24%
|
39.38%
|
146.95%
|
28.57%
|
55.33%
|
116.28%
|
27.68%
|
46.11%
|
265.58%
|
68.36%
|
| Ratios | ||||||||||
| Free cash flow margin |
3.09%
|
2.85%
|
2.61%
|
2.78%
|
1.54%
|
2.74%
|
3.63%
|
1.77%
|
1.29%
|
1.59%
|
| Capital expenditures to revenue |
2.12%
|
2.00%
|
1.85%
|
1.78%
|
1.71%
|
1.83%
|
1.69%
|
1.77%
|
1.98%
|
1.49%
|
| Stock-based compensation to revenue |
0.30%
|
0.31%
|
0.32%
|
0.32%
|
0.32%
|
0.34%
|
0.37%
|
0.29%
|
0.27%
|
0.24%
|
| Cash conversion |
1.71x
|
1.65x
|
1.54x
|
1.76x
|
1.26x
|
1.79x
|
2.21x
|
1.94x
|
1.69x
|
1.79x
|
How these figures are calculated
Annual columns are full-year amounts from the annual report (Form 10-K, 20-F, or 40-F). If a company restates a year, the latest filed number is shown. USD in millions, except per-share amounts and ratios. Capital expenditures, debt repaid, dividends, and buybacks are positive amounts. Investing and financing cash flow keep the filing sign, so an outflow is negative. Free cash flow is operating cash flow minus capital expenditures. Returned to shareholders is dividends plus buybacks. Free cash flow margin, capital expenditures, and stock-based compensation are divided by revenue. Cash conversion is operating cash flow divided by net income. More on our methodology.
Company profile
- Industry
- Retail-Variety Stores (SIC 5331)
- Listed as
- COST (Nasdaq)
- Fiscal year ends
- August 30
- Incorporated in
- WA
- Headquarters
- Issaquah, WA
- SEC filer status
- Large accelerated filer
- SEC CIK
- 909832
- Former names
- COSTCO COMPANIES INC (until Jun 29, 1999); PRICE/COSTCO INC (until Jan 6, 1997)
Other Retail-Variety Stores companies
- Walmart Inc. WMT
- Target Corp TGT
- Dollar General Corp DG
- Dollar Tree, Inc. DLTR
- BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. BJ
- Five Below, Inc FIVE
- Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings, Inc. OLLI
- Pricesmart Inc PSMT
Source: SEC EDGAR filings. This is company-reported data, not investment advice.