Costco Wholesale (COST) valuation
Costco Wholesale P/E ratio history
Costco Wholesale trades at 48.8 times its earnings over the last twelve months and 44.4 times the earnings analysts expect over the next twelve. At its last 10 fiscal year ends its P/E ranged from 26.0 (year to Sep 2017) to 53.9 (year to Sep 2024), with a median of 39.3.
| Fiscal year ended | Price | EPS | P/E | Forward P/E |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 30, 2026 | $945.47 | $20.76 | 45.5 | — |
| Aug 31, 2025 | $943.32 | $18.21 | 51.8 | 48.5 |
| Sep 1, 2024 | $892.38 | $16.56 | 53.9 | 51.5 |
| Sep 3, 2023 | $544.25 | $14.16 | 38.4 | 36.1 |
| Aug 28, 2022 | $531.82 | $13.14 | 40.5 | 37.7 |
| Aug 29, 2021 | $450.34 | $11.27 | 40.0 | 39.7 |
| Aug 30, 2020 | $348.37 | $9.02 | 38.6 | — |
| Sep 1, 2019 | $294.76 | $8.26 | 35.7 | — |
| Sep 2, 2018 | $233.13 | $7.09 | 32.9 | — |
| Sep 3, 2017 | $158.24 | $6.08 | 26.0 | — |
n/m: not meaningful (a loss, or earnings close to zero). The daily P/E line is a chart indicator in the app.
Costco Wholesale valuation against its peers
| Company | Market value | P/E | Forward P/E | Price / sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costco WholesaleCOST | $449B | 48.8 | 44.4 | 1.5 |
| WalmartWMT | $983B | 44.8 | 40.4 | 1.3 |
| TJX CompaniesTJX | $155B | 26.0 | 25.5 | 2.5 |
| Ross StoresROST | $73.2B | 27.6 | 26.6 | 3.0 |
| TargetTGT | $70.1B | 16.0 | 15.6 | 0.7 |
| Dollar GeneralDG | $29.2B | 17.2 | 16.3 | 0.7 |
| Dollar TreeDLTR | $25.7B | 16.4 | 16.9 | 1.3 |
| Peer median | 21.6 | 21.2 | 1.3 |
Reading these multiples
The P/E divides the share price by earnings per share over the last twelve months; the forward P/E divides it by the earnings analysts expect over the next twelve. Price to sales compares the company's market value with its revenue over the last twelve months. A multiple reads differently from one industry to the next, so the peer group above is the fairer comparison.
See also: COST financials · COST returns
No forecast, no recommendation. This page describes Costco Wholesale from published data; it is not advice to buy, sell or hold any security.
Figures as of the close on Oct 30, 2026 unless a row says otherwise. Prices are split adjusted; returns include dividends reinvested. Data may be delayed. See the disclaimer and how TrendArc works.