Stocktoria
COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP /NEW COST
COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP /NEW (COST) earns a Piotroski F-score of 6/9 (mixed financial health), with an Altman Z″ in the safe zone. It pays a dividend yielding 0.58% (safety: safe). FY2026 revenue was $303.2B at a 3.0% net margin.
Quality score trend · recomputed for each fiscal year
Each year's score is computed from that year's filing — a rising Piotroski F or Altman Z″ means improving financial health, a fall is worth a look.
Beneish M-score: -2.66 — low (below −2.22 — no manipulation red flag) . A statistical screen for earnings manipulation, not proof — and it doesn't apply to most banks/insurers.
Analyst price target
Recent analyst actions
| Date | Firm | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-11-11 | Bernstein | Outperform (main) |
| 2026-11-05 | JP Morgan | Overweight (main) |
| 2026-10-21 | CICC | Outperform (init) |
| 2026-10-15 | Tigress Financial | Buy (main) |
| 2026-10-09 | RBC Capital | Sector Perform (reit) |
| 2026-09-28 | Deutsche Bank | Buy (main) |
Wall Street analyst consensus — a sentiment gauge, not our scoring.
Forward estimates · earnings calendar →
Consensus analyst estimates and scheduled dates — forward-looking, may change.
Smart money · insiders, last 12 months
Open-market insider purchases minus sells (SEC Form 4) — real buying with their own money is a bullish “smart money” signal; grants and option exercises are excluded.
How it ranks in Retail Trade · percentile among 257 companies
Percentile vs other Retail Trade companies we cover — e.g. “stronger than 90%” means only 10% score higher on that measure.
Piotroski F breakdown · 6/9 tests passed
- Positive return on assets
- Positive operating cash flow
- Rising ROA
- Cash flow exceeds net income
- Lower long-term debt
- Rising current ratio
- No share dilution
- Rising gross margin
- Rising asset turnover
Altman Z″ components · safe zone
| Component | Value |
|---|---|
| Working capital / assets | 0.03 |
| Retained earnings / assets | 0.321 |
| EBIT / assets | 0.131 |
| Equity / liabilities | 0.672 |
Sector peers · similar-size Retail Trade companies compare side by side →
| Ticker | Company | Piotroski F | Altman Z″ | P / E | Revenue growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COST | COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP /NEW | 6/9 | 2.83 | 45.8 | +10.1% |
| TGT | TARGET CORP | 5/9 | 1.34 | 17.2 | -1.7% |
| DG | DOLLAR GENERAL CORP | 6/9 | 1.54 | 17.4 | +5.2% |
| BJ | BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. | 7/9 | 1.09 | 19.6 | +4.7% |
| DLTR | DOLLAR TREE, INC. | 9/9 | 2.26 | 18.6 | +10.4% |
| PSMT | PRICESMART INC | 4/9 | 4.12 | 36.4 | +11.5% |
| FIVE | FIVE BELOW, INC | 6/9 | 4.07 | 29 | +22.9% |
About COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP /NEW
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, Sweden, Iceland, and New Zealand. It offers merchandise, including sundries, dry groceries, candies, coolers, freezers, liquor, and tobacco; non-food merchandise comprising consumer electronics, appliances, small electrics, 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, deli, and bakery products. The company is also involved in warehouse ancillary operations, which include gasoline, pharmacies, food courts, optical, hearing aids, and tire installation centers. In addition, it engages in e-commerce, business centers, travel, and other businesses. Further, the company operates e-commerce sites; and offers branded and private-label products in various categories. The company was formerly known as Costco Companies, Inc. and changed its name to Costco Wholesale Corporation in August 1999. Costco Wholesale Corporation was founded in 1976 and is based in Issaquah, Washington.
FAQ
Is COST financially healthy?
COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP /NEW's Piotroski F-score is 6/9 (8–9 is excellent, 0–3 weak), and its Altman Z″ distress score is in the safe zone.
Does COST pay a dividend, and is it safe?
Yes. COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP /NEW pays a dividend yielding about 0.58% with a 26.6% payout ratio, rated “safe” for safety.
How profitable is COST?
In FY2026, COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP /NEW had a net margin of 3.0% and a return on equity of 25.8%.
Is COST overvalued or undervalued?
COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP /NEW trades at about 53.3× trailing earnings — above its 10-year norm (10-year range 27.0×–53.5×, median 39.9×). Stocktoria reports the data, not buy/sell advice.
What is the analyst price target for COST?
The average Wall-Street price target for COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP /NEW is $1,073.35, about 3.0% below the recent price, from 37 analysts (consensus: buy).
Is COST a good stock to buy?
Stocktoria doesn't give buy or sell advice, but here is the data on COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP /NEW: a Piotroski F-score of 6/9, an Altman Z″ in the safe zone, a P/E of about 45.8×, a dividend yield of 0.58%. Weigh these quality and valuation signals against your own goals.
Computed from company filings · US · as of 2026-08-30. Facts plus Stocktoria's own computed scores — not investment advice.