Costco WholesaleXSGO:COST 97 Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow is 0.41 as of May. 2026, which is at its 10-year median of 0.41. GuruFocus rates XSGO:COST with a GF Score™ of 97/100 and a GF Value™ of $1,074.83. The stock has 1 warning sign investors should review. Among 201 Retail - Defensive companies, Costco Wholesale ranks better than 55.72% on this metric.
Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow assesses how much of a company’s cash flow from operations is being devoted to capital expenditure. It’s also useful to distinguish whether the company is capital intensive or not.
Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow ratio assesses how much of a company’s Cash Flow from Operations is being devoted to Capital Expenditure. It is a good indicator in terms of how much the company is focused on growth. In general, a high Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow ratio indicates that the company is investing more in physical assets and is focused on growth and expansion. Conversely, lower ratio could indicate that a company has reached maturity and is no longer pursuing aggressive growth.
Moreover, the ratio is also useful to distinguish whether the company is capital intensive or not. If the ratio is large, then the company tends to be capital intensive. Lower ratio suggests that it’s a capital-light business. The ratio can be combined with ROIC % to identify whether the company is an asset-light business that has a high return on invested capital. This is one question investors commonly ask to see if a company qualifies as a good company.
Costco Wholesale Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow Related Terms
Costco Wholesale Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Costco Wholesale's Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
XSGO:COST vs TGT, DG, DLTR: Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow Comparison
For the Discount Stores subindustry, Costco Wholesale's Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow, along with its competitors' market caps and Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Costco Wholesale Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow vs Retail - Defensive Industry
For the Retail - Defensive industry and Consumer Defensive sector, Costco Wholesale's Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Costco Wholesale's Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
What does a Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow of 0.41 mean?
Costco Wholesale (XSGO:COST) has a Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow of 0.41 as of May. 2026. Capex to Operating Cash Flow ratio assesses how much of a company’s cash flow from operations is being devoted to capital expenditure. View historical data on Costco Wholesale and its competitors. This is near median its historical median of 0.41. Over the past decade, Costco Wholesale's Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow has ranged from 0.32 to 0.81. According to the industry distribution chart, Costco Wholesale ranks #89 out of 201 companies in the Retail - Defensive industry, placing it in the top 44.3%.
Is Costco Wholesale's Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow too high?
Costco Wholesale's current Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow of 0.41 is near median its 10-year median of 0.41. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.32 to a high of 0.81. The Retail - Defensive industry median Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow is 0.44. Costco Wholesale's value of 0.41 is 6.8% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Costco Wholesale ranks #89 out of 201 companies in the Retail - Defensive industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Costco Wholesale has a GF Score™ of 97/100, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Costco Wholesale's Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow compare to TGT and DG?
According to the Retail - Defensive industry distribution chart, Costco Wholesale ranks #89 out of 201 companies for Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow. This puts Costco Wholesale in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow is 0.44. Costco Wholesale's value of 0.41 is 6.8% below this benchmark. Historically, Costco Wholesale's own Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow has ranged from 0.32 to 0.81 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 0.41 vs. the industry median of 0.44, Costco Wholesale has consistently been below the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow for a Retail - Defensive company?
The median Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow among Retail - Defensive companies is 0.44, based on 201 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Costco Wholesale's current Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow of 0.41 is 6.8% below the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow mean?
A high Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Capex to Operating Cash Flow ratio assesses how much of a company’s cash flow from operations is being devoted to capital expenditure. View historical data on Costco Wholesale and its competitors. For the Retail - Defensive industry, the median Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow is 0.44 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Costco Wholesale's current Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow is 0.41, which is near median its own 10-year median of 0.41. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Costco Wholesale stock overvalued right now?
Costco Wholesale (XSGO:COST) has a current Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow of 0.41. The stock's GF Value™ is $1,074.83, compared to a current price of $1,014.20 — trading 5.6% below its estimated fair value. The current Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow is 0.41, which is near median its 10-year median of 0.41 and 6.8% below the Retail - Defensive industry median of 0.44. Costco Wholesale's overall GF Score™ is 97/100 with 1 warning sign to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow calculated?
Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Costco Wholesale (XSGO:COST), the current Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow is 0.41 as of May. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Costco Wholesale (XSGO:COST) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Costco Wholesale stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $1,014.20 is trading 5.6% below its estimated GF Value™ of $1,074.83.
Key valuation signals for XSGO:COST:
Capex-to-Operating-Cash-Flow: 0.41 (near median its 10-year median of 0.41)
GF Value™: $1,074.83 vs. price of $1,014.20 (5.6% below fair value)
Industry Position: 6.8% below the Retail - Defensive median (#89 of 201)
No single metric tells the full story. See the XSGO:COST stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Founded in 1983, Costco Wholesale now operates a global chain of membership-based warehouse clubs, delivering high-quality goods and services at consistently low prices. As of its most recent fiscal year, Costco operated approximately 910 warehouses, serving more than 80 million members across its three geographic segments: Costco US (approximately 73% of total revenue), Costco Canada (13%), and Costco International (14%).Costco's core value proposition—quality products at unbeatable prices—has yielded consistently strong member renewal rates (93% in the US and Canada and nearly 90% internationally). About 55% of Costco's fiscal 2025 revenue came from its grocery offerings, and another 25% from general merchandise.
97GF Score
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