Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST)
Valuation Overview•Is Costco Wholesale Corporation Overvalued or Undervalued?
Popular:
Good quality — competent with room to improve
Monthly model snapshots showing quantitative assessments. High Conviction = model detected notable undervaluation vs peers. Return columns show actual price changes following each observation date for reference purposes only.
| Date | Assessment | Score | Price | 30d | 90d |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1, 26Latest | Neutral | 0.24 | $1011.70 | — | — |
| Apr 24, 26 | Neutral | 0.24 | $1011.15 | — | — |
| Apr 17, 26 | Neutral | 0.24 | $999.89 | — | — |
| Apr 16, 26 | Neutral | 0.24 | $984.28 | — | — |
| Apr 10, 26 | Neutral | 0.24 | $998.47 | — | — |
| Quarter | EPS Est. | EPS Act. | Surprise | EPS | Rev |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1'26Latest | $4.55 | $4.58 | +0.7% | ||
| Q4'25 | $4.27 | $4.34 | +1.6% | ||
| Q3'25 | $5.80 | $5.87 | +1.2% | ||
| Q2'25 | $4.24 | $4.28 | +0.9% | ||
| Q1'25 | $4.09 | $4.02 | -1.7% | ||
| Q4'24 | $3.79 | $3.82 | +0.8% | ||
| Q3'24 | $5.08 | $5.15 | +1.4% | ||
| Q2'24 | $3.70 | $3.78 | +2.2% |
Total return, benchmark alpha, and annual history in one section.
3Y, 5Y, and 10Y use CAGR when available.
| Period | Return | vs S&P | Dividends |
|---|---|---|---|
| YTD | +19.3% | +13.3% | — |
| 1Y | +0.7% | -27.8% | +0.5% |
| 3YCAGR | +28.0% | +8.0% | +5.9% |
| 5YCAGR | +23.1% | +11.1% | +9.8% |
| 10YCAGR | +22.0% | +8.2% | — |
Year-by-year total return versus SPY, including dividend contribution.
| Year | Stock Return | SPY Return | Alpha | Dividends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +18.4% | +0.4% | +18.0% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | -4.7% | +16.6% | -21.3% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | +41.5% | +24.0% | +17.5% | +0.7% |
| 2023 | +49.8% | +24.8% | +25.0% | +4.2% |
| 2022Worst | -18.8% | -19.9% | +1.1% | +0.6% |
| 2021Best | +50.1% | +28.8% | +21.4% | +0.8% |
| 2020 | +33.6% | +15.1% | +18.5% | +4.4% |
| 2019 | +44.8% | +28.7% | +16.1% | +1.2% |
Based on our multi-model analysis of Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) at $1016.42: DCF model flags -64.3% downside from intrinsic value of $361.57. Relative valuation verdict: Significantly Overvalued vs industry peers. Fundamental quality score: 64/100 (moderate). Wall Street consensus: Buy from 58 analysts. This is a quantitative summary combining DCF intrinsic value, peer-based relative valuation, quality scoring, and analyst consensus — not a buy/sell recommendation. Always consult a qualified financial advisor before investing.
Costco Wholesale Corporation has multiple fair value estimates from different frameworks: DCF intrinsic value: $361.57 (overvalued, -64.3% implied move). Relative fair value: $499.42 (Significantly Overvalued, -50.6% vs current price). Analyst consensus target: $1070.00 (+5.3% upside, 58 analysts). We recommend comparing all three lenses — when DCF, relative, and analyst targets converge, the signal is stronger. When they diverge, investigate what assumptions differ.
Costco Wholesale Corporation's financial health as measured by our composite scoring: Overall quality score: 64/100. Piotroski F-Score: 7/9 (strong fundamentals). Altman Z-Score: 10.1 (safe zone — low bankruptcy risk). Return on invested capital: 34.5%. Cash conversion (OCF/NI): 1.65x (earnings are cash-backed). The quality score blends profitability (ROIC, ROE, margins), solvency (leverage, coverage, Z-Score), and growth trajectory into a single 0–100 framework updated end-of-day.
Costco Wholesale Corporation's performance profile: 1-year total return: +0.7%. 1-year alpha vs S&P 500: -27.8% (underperforming the benchmark). 5-year CAGR: +23.1%. Maximum drawdown (1Y): -19.6%. Relative Strength rating: 60/99 (average momentum). Beta: 0.13 (less volatile than the market). Total returns include reinvested dividends. Alpha is calculated against the S&P 500 Total Return Index over matching periods.
Current dividend yield: 0.5%. Annual dividend per share: $4.91. Payout ratio: 27% (well-covered). 5-year dividend CAGR: +8.1%. Total shareholder yield (dividends + buybacks): 0.7%.
Wall Street's outlook on Costco Wholesale Corporation: Consensus rating: Buy from 58 covering analysts. Consensus price target: $1070.00 (range: $769.00 to $1175.00). Implied upside from current price: +5.3%. Earnings beat rate: 83% with a 4-quarter consecutive beat streak. Forward P/E: 49.7x. Analyst estimates are blended into our proprietary model with weight based on coverage depth and historical accuracy. We track estimate revisions, beat rates, and grade changes daily.
Key risks identified for Costco Wholesale Corporation: Valuation risk: Both DCF and relative models flag overvaluation — the stock may have limited upside or elevated downside. Note: This model does not capture regulatory changes, management decisions, competitive disruption, or geopolitical events. Macro and qualitative risks remain material and should be assessed independently.
No. This overview dashboard aggregates data from our DCF intrinsic value model, relative peer multiples model, proprietary estimates engine, and third-party analyst consensus feeds. It is strictly for educational and informational purposes. The operator of this platform is not a registered investment advisor (RIA), broker-dealer, or financial planner. All model outputs, fair value estimates, quality scores, and signals are automated quantitative computations and should not be construed as investment recommendations. Consult a qualified, licensed financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Past model performance does not guarantee future results.