COST Stock — Costco Wholesale Corporation

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST)

COST is a Stock. As of September 3, 2026, its distribution rate is 0.60%, its trailing-12-month yield is 0.60%. Dividend Vision Distribution Safety Score™ is 92/100 (Safe). Its deepest 1-year drawdown was 16.6%.

At the current 0.60% distribution rate, a $10,000 investment would generate approximately $60 per year, or $5.00 per month on an equivalent basis. Actual quarterly payments vary.

Costco Wholesale Corporation operates membership-only warehouse clubs across the United States and internationally, selling a wide range of merchandise including groceries, electronics, apparel, and fresh food, along with ancillary services such as pharmacies, gas stations, and food courts. The company pays a modest current distribution rate on a quarterly basis. Costco appeals to income investors seeking dividend exposure within the retail and consumer discretionary sector, though the company is primarily known as a growth and value business rather than a high-yield income play.

COST performance

Data as of September 3, 2026.

Its deepest 1-year drawdown was 16.6%.

COST key facts

Data as of September 3, 2026.

Distribution Safety Score™

92 · Safe

Safety-Adjusted Yield

0.55%

Asset type

Stock

Asset class

Equity

Inception date

11/27/1985

Distribution rate

0.60%

Distribution frequency

Quarterly

Trailing yield

0.60%

5-year average yield

0.59

Last close

$925.41

Market cap

$410,399,720,010

Average volume

2170729.0

Last dividend

$1.47

Last ex-dividend date

07/24/2026

Last payment date

08/07/2026

Beta

0.86

Payout ratio

0.2739

P/E ratio

46.67

Forward P/E

41.4938

EPS

$19.83

How Dividend Vision calculates yield and returns

Distribution rate (0.60%) is the latest regular payout annualized by the fund's stated frequency, divided by the last close. Issuers often publish this as “Distribution Rate” on the fact sheet. Trailing-12-month yield (0.60%) is the sum of distributions paid in the last 12 months, split-adjusted, divided by the last close. It lags a recent raise or cut. We show a 30-day SEC yield when the fund publishes one. Schwab and other issuers may report a TTM distribution yield or SEC yield on a different date — all can be valid; they are not interchangeable. Total return uses split-adjusted close with distributions reinvested on the ex-dividend date (a modeling convention, not the cash-settlement date) from the first stored bar on or after inception through the latest bar, compared with the same window on the benchmark. That is the security's total return, not your personal gain/loss. Figures below use Dividend Vision data as of September 3, 2026.

Distribution rate methodology · Distribution Safety Score methodology · SEC yield

Sources and review

Data as of September 3, 2026.

Primary sources: prices and distributions from Dividend Vision, derived from vendor EOD data.

Reviewed by Bert Sweet, CEO and Co-owner of Dividend Vision. Methodology: Distribution Safety Score.

COST risks and drawbacks

COST's current distribution rate is moderate, not a high-yield payout — the strategy is dividend quality more than maximum income. Payments are quarterly, so cash flow is lumpy versus a monthly fund. The deepest 1-year drawdown on record here is 16.6%.

Who may consider COST — and who may not

COST may suit someone looking for a high Distribution Safety Score. It is a weaker fit for investors who need monthly cash flow (COST pays quarterly); investors hunting double-digit covered-call yields. This is educational context, not a recommendation to buy or sell.

Compare COST

COST vs similar funds:

• COST vs WMT

Frequently asked questions