COST
Costco Wholesale
PE ratio, current and historical analysis
- Stocks
- Consumer Defensive
- NASDAQ: COST
- PE Ratio
As of Jun 5, 2026, the COST stock has a PE ratio of 48.81. The calculation is based on the latest EPS of $19.91 and the stock price of $971.87 per share. A decrease of 4% has been observed in the PE ratio compared to its average of 50.8 of the last four quarters.
COST PE ratio history
The mean historical PE ratio of Costco Wholesale over the last ten years is 39.29. The current 48.81 P/E ratio is 24% higher than the historical average. Looking back at the last ten years, COST's PE ratio peaked in the Feb 2025 quarter at 62.43, with a price of $1,071.85 and an EPS of $17.17. The Sep 2017 quarter marked the lowest point at 25.9, with a price of $158.24 and an EPS of $6.11.
Costco Wholesale PE ratio by year
Maximum annual increase: 40.15% in 2024
Maximum annual decrease: -15.3% in 2017
| Year | PE ratio | PE change | Price | EPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 51.72 | -3.85% | $943.32 | $18.24 |
| 2024 | 53.79 | 40.15% | $892.38 | $16.59 |
| 2023 | 38.38 | -4.95% | $544.25 | $14.18 |
| 2022 | 40.38 | 1.33% | $531.82 | $13.17 |
| 2021 | 39.85 | 3.53% | $450.34 | $11.3 |
| 2020 | 38.49 | 8.64% | $348.37 | $9.05 |
| 2019 | 35.43 | 8.65% | $294.76 | $8.32 |
| 2018 | 32.61 | 25.91% | $233.13 | $7.15 |
| 2017 | 25.9 | -15.3% | $158.24 | $6.11 |
| 2016 | 30.58 | 18.21% | $163.93 | $5.36 |
| 2015 | 25.87 | 0.19% | $139.95 | $5.41 |
| 2014 | 25.82 | 8.03% | $121.08 | $4.69 |
| 2013 | 23.9 | -3.78% | $111.87 | $4.68 |
| 2012 | 24.84 | 7.77% | $97.87 | $3.94 |
| 2011 | 23.05 | 21.83% | $77.21 | $3.35 |
Costco Wholesale PE ratio by quarter (TTM)
| Year | PE ratio | PE change | Price | EPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | 50.67 | -4.18% | $1,008.79 | $19.91 |
| Feb 2026 | 52.88 | 10.05% | $1,018.48 | $19.26 |
| Nov 2025 | 48.05 | -7.1% | $899.01 | $18.71 |
| Aug 2025 | 51.72 | -9.34% | $943.32 | $18.24 |
| May 2025 | 57.05 | -8.62% | $1,008.09 | $17.67 |
| Feb 2025 | 62.43 | 10.55% | $1,071.85 | $17.17 |
| Nov 2024 | 56.47 | 4.98% | $964.01 | $17.07 |
| Sep 2024 | 53.79 | 10.5% | $892.38 | $16.59 |
| May 2024 | 48.68 | 3% | $787.19 | $16.17 |
| Feb 2024 | 47.26 | 17.39% | $723.99 | $15.32 |
| Nov 2023 | 40.26 | 4.9% | $591.36 | $14.69 |
| Sep 2023 | 38.38 | 3.98% | $544.25 | $14.18 |
| May 2023 | 36.91 | 0.63% | $499.06 | $13.52 |
| Feb 2023 | 36.68 | -7.12% | $499.99 | $13.63 |
| Nov 2022 | 39.49 | -2.2% | $523.67 | $13.26 |
COST Price vs fair value
COST average PE ratio chart
What this chart measures
The Historical Valuation Regime chart shows where the stock's current valuation sits relative to its own historical valuation range over the selected lookback period.
This is a history-relative tool, not a market-relative percentile. It does not compare the stock to other companies. Instead, it compares each historical valuation reading to the stock's own past readings.
Percentile logic
The threshold lines are calculated them from the stock's real historical values using percentile interpolation. That is why some colored bands are narrow while others are wide: the band widths reflect how the stock actually traded through time.
Regime map
| Historical percentile | Regime | Chart meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 0-10 | Historically Low | Deep cheap zone |
| >10-25 | Below Average | Cheap relative to history |
| >25-75 | Average | Within the normal historical range |
| >75-90 | Above Average | Expensive relative to history |
| >90-100 | Historically High | Extreme or stretched valuation |
How to read each part
| Chart element | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Main line | The actual historical valuation values over time for the selected metric. |
| Dashed horizontal lines | The stock's computed P10, P25, Median, P75, and P90 thresholds for the selected period. |
| Colored bands | The historical valuation zones between those thresholds. |
| Metric boxes | Current ratio, historical median, current percentile, and current regime. |
| Timeline strip | A condensed regime history showing how the stock moved between cheap, fair, and expensive states across each observation. |
Important metric definitions
Current Percentile is the percentile rank of the latest valid historical observation within the selected lookback range.
Current Regime is assigned directly from the latest observation's percentile bucket using the fixed 10 / 25 / 75 / 90 cutoffs shown above.
How to use it well
This chart is most useful for answering a narrow question: Is this stock trading high, low, or normal relative to its own history? It works best alongside growth, profitability, and forward-looking business analysis, because a stock can deserve a higher or lower regime if its business quality has changed.
The current PE ratio of COST is higher than its 5 and 10-year averages, but it is lower than its 3-year average.
PE comparison
With a price to earnings (P/E) of 48.81, COST ranks higher than the Consumer Defensive sector, the industry and its peers average. In comparison with the Consumer Defensive sector average of 21.39, Costco Wholesale's price to earnings (P/E) is 128% higher.
COST PE vs peers
COST's PE ratio stands higher than its peer stocks WMT and TGT. Costco Wholesale's current PE ratio of 48.81 is higher than the average of its peers, which is 24.61.
| Stock name | PE ratio | Market cap |
|---|---|---|
| DG Dollar General Corp | 14.61 | $22.87B |
| TGT Target Corp | 16.11 | $55.67B |
| DLTR Dollar Tree Inc | 17.08 | $20.91B |
| FIVE Five Below Inc | 23.84 | $10.53B |
| PSMT Pricesmart Inc | 34.31 | $5.37B |
| WMT Walmart Inc | 41.71 | $946.06B |
| COST Costco Wholesale Corp | 48.81 | $431B |
Frequently asked questions
What is Costco Wholesale's PE ratio?
As of Jun 5, 2026, COST stock has a price to earnings ratio of 48.81.
What is the 3-year average PE ratio for Costco Wholesale (COST)?
As an average over the last 3 years, COST stock has a PE ratio of 50.64.
What is the 5-year average PE ratio for Costco Wholesale (COST)?
As an average over the last 5 years, COST stock has a PE ratio of 46.36.
What is the highest PE ratio for COST?
Over the last ten years, the quarterly PE ratio reached its highest level at 62.43 in the Feb 2025 quarter.
How does the current PE ratio for COST compare to its historical average?
COST's current price to earnings ratio is 24% above its 10-year historical average.
How is COST's PE ratio calculated (Costco Wholesale PE ratio formula)?
The P/E ratio is obtained by dividing the latest price of a stock by its trailing twelve months EPS. As of today (Jun 5, 2026), Costco Wholesale's share price is $971.87. The company's earnings per share for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ending May 2026 is $19.91. Therefore, Costco Wholesale's PE ratio for today is 48.81. PE RATIO(48.81) = STOCK PRICE($971.87) / TTM EPS($19.91)
All PE ratio stats are based on quarterly TTM periods, unless otherwise specified.