Trailing Dividend / Share
$4.91
Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) Dividend History
Income profile from 2004 to 2026 with payout safety and yield-on-cost trend
Dividend Yield
0.5%
Payout Ratio
27.0%
Sustainable
Dividend Streak
1 years
COST Dividend Income Check
Safety
27.0% payout ratio with sustainable safety profile.
Consistency
1 straight years of dividend increases.
Income Trend
Yield on cost is 1.3% and trend is falling.
COST Dividend Scorecard
Yield & Income
Dividend Yield0.5%
Trailing DPS$4.91
FrequencySemi-Annual
Payments / 12M4
Payout Safety
Earnings Payout27.0%
Earnings SafetySustainable
FCF Payout24.0%
FCF SafetyWell Covered
Piotroski F-Score7/9
Growth
Growth Streak1 years
3Y CAGR13.2%
5Y CAGR-16.9%
Yield on Cost (5Y)1.3%
YOC Trendfalling
Total Returns
Buyback Yield0.2%
Total Shareholder Yield0.7%
1Y Total Return0.7%
5Y Total Return182.6%
Div Contribution (5Y)9.8%
Estimated $10K growth (return + dividends):
5Y ago$28,26310Y ago$73,16020Y ago$194,648
Uses precomputed total return metrics from screening data (not lot-by-lot dividend reinvestment transactions). Different time windows can produce different outcomes depending on market regime and entry point.
COST Income Growth Story
Dividend per share and yield on cost over time (23 years of payments)
COST Dividend Safety Story
EPS is the container — dividend is what's drawn out
Dividend Analysis
Payout Safety
Costco Wholesale Corporation distributes 27.0% of earnings as dividends (Sustainable). When measured against free cash flow—a stricter test—the payout ratio stands at 24.0%, rated "Well Covered".
Piotroski F-Score: 7/9 — strong financial health.
Growth Track Record
COST has raised its dividend for 1 consecutive year, with a 3-year CAGR of 13.2% and 5-year CAGR of -16.9%.
Total Shareholder Returns
Beyond cash dividends, COST returns capital through share repurchases. The combined picture: 0.5% dividend yield, 0.2% buyback yield, 0.7% total shareholder yield.
Income Trend & Total Return
Yield on cost (5-year basis) has reached 1.3% and is currently falling. The 5-year total return is 182.6%, with dividends contributing 9.8% of that performance.
DRIP Growth
A $10,000 investment made 10 years ago with dividends reinvested would have grown to approximately $73,160 today.
COST Recent Dividend Payments
Last 20 payments · Semi-Annual
TTM Total$35.57
Avg/Payment$1.7785
Latest Change+13.1%
| Ex-Date | Amount | Change | Yield % | Payment Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 2026Latest | $1.4700 | ↑ +13.1% | 53.08% | May 15, 2026 |
| Jan 30, 2026 | $1.3000 | — | 55.30% | Feb 13, 2026 |
| Oct 31, 2025 | $1.3000 | — | 55.52% | Nov 14, 2025 |
| Aug 1, 2025 | $1.3000 | — | 51.65% | Aug 15, 2025 |
| May 2, 2025 | $1.3000 | ↑ +12.1% | 47.41% | May 16, 2025 |
| Feb 7, 2025 | $1.1600 | — | 44.45% | Feb 21, 2025 |
| Nov 1, 2024 | $1.1600 | — | 2.22% | Nov 15, 2024 |
| Jul 26, 2024 | $1.1600 | — | 2.37% | Aug 9, 2024 |
COST Dividend vs Peers
Comparable companies in the same industry
#6 yield in peer group
Div Yield
0.5%
#6 of 6
Safety
Sustainable
27.0% payout
Streak
1Y
-16.9% 5Y CAGR
Total Shareholder
0.7%
#6 of 6
| Company | Mkt Cap | Yield | Payout | Streak | Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COSTCostco Wholesale Cor… | $450.5B | 0.5% | 27.0% | 1 | Sustainable |
 WMTWalmart Inc. | $1.0T | 0.7% | 34.3% | 37 | Sustainable |
1st  TGTTarget Corporation | $58.7B | 3.5% | 55.4% | 22 | Sustainable |
3rd  KRThe Kroger Co. | $42.4B | 2.0% | 87.1% | 21 | At Risk |
2nd  ACIAlbertsons Companies… | $8.3B | 3.1% | 30.8% | 1 | Sustainable |
 WMKWeis Markets, Inc. | $1.7B | 2.0% | — | 1 | Unknown |
COST Annual Dividend History (1989–2026)
38 years of dividend data
GrowthDecline
| Year | DPS | YoY | Pmts | EPS | Payout | Coverage | YOC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | $2.77 | — | 2 | — | — | — | 0.7% |
| 2025 | $5.06 | 12.4% | 4 | $18.21 | 27.8% | 3.60x | 1.3% |
| 2024 | $4.50 | -76.3% | 4 | $16.56 | 27.2% | 3.68x | 1.2% |
| 2023 | $18.96 | 443.3% | 5 | $14.16 | 133.9% | 0.75x | 5.0% |
| 2022 | $3.49 | 13.7% | 4 | $13.14 | 26.6% | 3.77x | 0.9% |
| 2021 | $3.07 | -75.9% | 4 | $11.27 | 27.2% | 3.67x | 0.8% |
| 2020 | $12.75 | 406.0% | 5 | $9.02 | 141.4% | 0.71x | 3.4% |
| 2019 | $2.52 | 14.0% | 4 | $8.26 | 30.5% | 3.28x | 0.7% |
| 2018 | $2.21 | -75.3% | 4 | $7.09 | 31.2% | 3.21x | 0.6% |
| 2017 | $8.95 | 411.4% | 5 | $6.08 | 147.2% | 0.68x | 2.4% |
Full COST Stock Analysis
Analyst consensus, bull case, AI-generated risk factors, and peer comparison — all in one place.
Should I Buy COST Right Now?
Bull case, key risks, Wall St analyst verdict, and what council investors are saying — updated daily.
See COST's True Return
Price is only half the story. See total return with reinvested dividends.
Launch CalculatorIs COST Undervalued?
DCF intrinsic value, peer multiples, and analyst estimates — see what the stock is really worth.
View ValuationCompare COST vs WMT
Side-by-side business, growth, and profitability comparison vs Walmart Inc..
Start ComparisonCOST — Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying COST stock.
How much dividend does COST pay per share?
Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) pays a trailing 12-month dividend of $4.91 per share, with a current dividend yield of +0.5%. Payments are made Semi-Annual.
When is COST's next ex-dividend date?
COST's most recent ex-dividend date is N/A. You must own shares before the ex-dividend date to receive the next payment. COST typically pays dividends Semi-Annual.
Is COST's dividend safe?
COST's dividend safety is rated "Sustainable" based on an earnings payout ratio of +27.0% and FCF payout ratio of +24.0%. The 1-year growth streak provides moderate confidence.
How many years has COST increased its dividend?
COST has 1 consecutive years of dividend growth. The 5-year dividend CAGR is -16.9%.
How often does COST pay dividends?
Costco Wholesale Corporation pays dividends Semi-Annual. The trailing 12-month total is $4.91 per share. Dividend data on this page covers 22+ years from 2004 to 2026.
How much would $10,000 invested in COST grow with dividend reinvestment?
With dividends reinvested (DRIP), $10,000 invested in COST five years ago would be worth approximately $28,263 today. This includes both price appreciation and compounded dividend reinvestment. Use the DRIP calculator above for other time periods.
What is COST's yield on cost for long-term holders?
COST's yield on cost — the current dividend divided by the original purchase price — is +1.3% for a 5-year holding period. This means long-term holders earn a higher effective yield than today's +0.5% market yield, thanks to the lower original cost basis.