Costco Wholesale Corporation
COST21 yrs growthConsumer Defensive · Stock · quarterly payer
Forward Yield
0.62%
Annual Dividend
$5.88
Payout Ratio
27%
5-Yr Growth
13.0%
Ex-Date
Jul 24, 2026
Frequency
Quarterly
Summary
As of July 2026, Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) yields 0.62% ($5.88 per share annually), with a blended fair-value estimate of $422.97 — -55% downside, so it screens as overvalued. Dividend safety grade: A (95/100). 21 years of dividend growth.
Is COST a good dividend stock?
YesCostco Wholesale Corporation (COST) pays a quarterly dividend yielding 0.62% ($5.88/yr), with 21 years of growth and a dividend-safety grade of A. It scores well across payout coverage, growth history and safety — a dependable income holding.
Advantages
- 21 consecutive years of dividend growth
- Never cut its dividend on record
- Comfortable payout ratio (27%)
- Strong 13.0% 5-yr dividend growth
- 107% total price return over 5 years
- Top-tier dividend safety score
Risks
- Single-stock concentration risk — diversify
Key Data
- Dividend Yield
- 0.62%
- Payout Ratio
- 27%
- Annual Dividend
- $5.88
- 5-Yr Avg Growth
- 13.0%
- Ex-Dividend Date
- Jul 24, 2026
- Years of Growth
- 21
- Frequency
- quarterly
- Beta
- 0.87
- Market Cap
- $417.3B
- P/E Ratio
- 47.4
- 5-Yr Total Return
- 107%
- 52-Week Range
- $844.06 – $1,096.50
- Dividend Safety
- A · 95/100
- Ever Cut?
- No
Frequently Asked Questions
COST Price — Last 12 Months
Daily close
Price Return
1 Year
-0%
3 Years
+71%
5 Years
+107%
52-Week Range
$844.06 – $1,096.50
Price change over each period (excludes dividends). Past performance doesn't guarantee future results.
What is COST worth?
Overvaluedmedium confidenceOur blended fair-value estimate for Costco Wholesale Corporation is $422.97 per share, versus a market price of $940.87. That implies 55% of downside.
Fair Value
$422.97
Current Price
$940.87
Downside
-55%
Margin of Safety
-122%
How we get there
Discounted cash flow
Discounts projected free cash flow back to today.
Earnings multiple (Graham)
Graham's earnings-multiple formula, anchored to bond yields.
At today's price, the market is pricing in about 40.0% annual free-cash-flow growth. We model 10.1% — so the price already assumes faster growth than we think is likely.
Assumptions: 8.7% discount rate (CAPM), 10.1% stage-1 growth, 2.5% terminal growth, $19.85 EPS, $5.88 annual dividend. Updated weekly.
Fair-value estimates are model output for educational purposes only — not investment advice or a price target.
COST Dividend Safety Score
Very Safe
SmarterDividends' proprietary score, backtested against which dividends were actually cut over 15+ years (0.78 AUC). It blends a validated cut-risk model (growth streak, cut history) with current payout, cash-flow and debt. Higher is safer · not investment advice.
Dividend Growth
Total dividends per share by year
Dividend History
| Ex-Date | Pay Date | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2026 | — | $1.4700 | regular |
| Jan 30, 2026 | — | $1.3000 | regular |
| Oct 31, 2025 | — | $1.3000 | regular |
| Aug 1, 2025 | — | $1.3000 | regular |
| May 2, 2025 | — | $1.3000 | regular |
| Feb 7, 2025 | — | $1.1600 | regular |
| Nov 1, 2024 | — | $1.1600 | regular |
| Jul 26, 2024 | — | $1.1600 | regular |
| Apr 25, 2024 | — | $1.1600 | regular |
| Feb 1, 2024 | — | $1.0200 | regular |
| Dec 27, 2023 | — | $15.0000 | regular |
| Nov 2, 2023 | — | $1.0200 | regular |
| Aug 24, 2023 | — | $1.0200 | regular |
| May 4, 2023 | — | $1.0200 | regular |
Income Calculator
At $5.88 / yr per share
