Costco Wholesale Corp PE Ratio
Data as of August 04, 2026
PE Ratio (TTM)
47.87
Stock Price
$954.08
EPS (TTM)
$19.88
Forward PE
42.57
How It's Calculated
47.87 = $954.08 ÷ $19.88
What This Means
Costco Wholesale Corp's PE ratio of 47.9 is significantly elevated, which often reflects very high growth expectations — or possible overvaluation.
About Costco Wholesale Corp
Costco Wholesale Corp (COST) operates in the Retail sector, specifically in Retail. With a market capitalization of about $422.14B, it ranks as a mega-cap stock — one of the largest publicly traded companies.
Shares recently traded near $954.08, within a 52-week range of $844.06 to $1096.50 (-13.0% from the high, +13.0% from the low). Beta of 0.87 is broadly in line with typical market sensitivity.
Trailing profit margin is about 3.0%, signaling modest profitability that investors should weigh against growth plans.
Understanding This Metric
The PE ratio is one of the most widely cited valuation multiples. For Costco Wholesale Corp, it reflects how much investors pay today for each dollar of trailing earnings. High-growth Retail names often carry elevated PE ratios when the market prices in faster future profits, while mature companies with stable cash flows may trade at lower multiples even in the same sector.
Sector Comparison
Among Retail names on our S&P 100 coverage, Costco Wholesale Corp's PE ratio of 47.87 can be compared with peers such as AMZN (22.58), WMT (39.63), LOW (17.54). Sector context helps interpretation, but each company's growth profile and balance sheet differ — use multiple metrics before drawing conclusions. View all Retail stocks.
Key Takeaways
- COST is grouped in the Retail sector for peer comparisons.
- Recent beta of 0.87 suggests lower-than-market price sensitivity.
- Trailing profit margin of 3.0% provides context for how much earnings support the headline multiple.
Related Tools & Guides
Explore calculators and guides connected to this metric, or view all metrics for COST.
Learn the full workflow
Compare PE with PB, PEG, EV/EBITDA, and market cap in one structured path.
Open the Stock Valuation hub →PEG Ratio
3.59
Sector
Retail
Other COST Metrics
Frequently Asked Questions
What does COST's PE ratio mean?
The PE ratio shows how much investors pay per dollar of trailing earnings for Costco Wholesale Corp. A trailing PE of 47.87 means the market is pricing the stock at 47.87 times last twelve months' EPS — useful for comparing valuation across time and versus Retail peers, not as a buy/sell signal on its own.
Is 47.87 high or low vs sector peers?
Among Retail names in our S&P 100 coverage, peers such as LOW (17.54), TGT (19.02), AMZN (22.58) offer context. COST's PE of 47.87 should be read with growth, margins, and balance-sheet risk — high PE can mean strong growth expectations; low PE can mean value or weaker outlook.
How often is this PE updated?
StockCalc refreshes COST metrics on U.S. trading days; this page shows data as of August 04, 2026. PE moves with price daily and with EPS when companies report earnings.
Calculate the pe ratio for any stock with our free calculator.
Open PE Ratio Calculator →