Costco Wholesale Corp
COSTThe growth today’s price assumes
To justify today’s price, free cash flow has to grow about 19.1% a year for 10 years.
That takes it from $9.4B over the four quarters to August 2026 to about $53.7B in year 10, growing 3.0% a year after that, against a market value of $453.2B.
How it works: today’s market value is treated as the present value of all the free cash flow the company will ever produce, discounted at the required return. The calculator finds the yearly growth over the chosen years, followed by steady growth for good, that makes the two equal. It is arithmetic on today’s price, not a forecast, and it doesn’t say what the stock is worth.
Cash, earnings and repurchases against market value
Today’s multiples against past quarter-ends
Higher than at 83% of quarter-ends since November 2016. Median 38.4× across 40 quarter-ends.
Market value ÷ net income over the trailing four quarters.
Higher than at 83% of quarter-ends since November 2016. Median 0.9× across 40 quarter-ends.
Market value plus debt minus cash, ÷ revenue over the trailing four quarters.
Lower than at 73% of quarter-ends since November 2016. Median 2.7% across 40 quarter-ends.
Free cash flow over the trailing four quarters ÷ market value.
The same figures for similar companies
| Company | Market value | P/E | EV/sales | Free cash flow yield | Revenue growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Costco Wholesale COST | $453.2B | 49.1× | 1.4× | 2.1% | +10.1% |
| Walmart WMT | $993.9B | 45.0× | 1.4× | 1.4% | +6.2% |
| Target TGT | $70.0B | 15.9× | 0.7× | 6.4% | +2.0% |
| Dollar General DG | $28.9B | 17.0× | 0.7× | 7.0% | +4.8% |
| Dollar Tree DLTR | $25.3B | 15.7× | 1.4× | 7.8% | +8.2% |
| BJ's Wholesale Club BJ | $13.9B | 23.4× | 0.6× | 2.6% | +9.1% |
| PriceSmart PSMT | $5.1B | 30.6× | 0.9× | 1.9% | +11.5% |
Peers as listed by Finnhub, U.S. filers only, capped at six. Each figure is worked out the same way as Costco Wholesale Corp’s, from that company’s own filings and current price.
Market value: today's price × the Sep 29, 2026 share count on the cover of Costco Wholesale Corp's latest filing, checked against Finnhub's count.
Trailing figures: the four quarters to August 2026, from Costco Wholesale Corp's 10-Q and 10-K filings with the SEC. Free cash flow is operating cash flow minus capital expenditure, calculated by The Dispatch.
History: each quarter-end’s closing price × the share count stated in that quarter’s filing, with stock splits accounted for. Enterprise value is market value plus debt minus cash and equivalents, all as of the same date. Debt is long-term debt as filed; quarterly filings often state only the part due after the coming year, so a quarter’s figure can be slightly lower than a year-end’s. Prices from Twelve Data.