Costco WholesaleCOST +0.34%97 PB Ratio is 12.72 as of Jun. 24, 2026, which is 29% above its 10-year median of 9.87. GuruFocus rates COST with a GF Score™ of 97/100 and a GF Value™ of $1,014.93 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 1 warning sign investors should review. Among 306 Retail - Defensive companies, Costco Wholesale ranks worse than 95.75% on this metric.
The PB Ratio, or Price-to-Book ratio, or Price/Book, is a financial ratio used to compare a company's market price to its Book Value per Share. As of today (2026-06-24), Costco Wholesale's share price is $961.09. Costco Wholesale's Book Value per Share for the quarter that ended in May. 2026 was $75.56. Hence, Costco Wholesale's PB Ratio of today is 12.72.
Good Sign:
Costco Wholesale Corp stock PB Ratio (=12.67) is close to 2-year low of 12.52.
The historical rank and industry rank for Costco Wholesale's PB Ratio or its related term are showing as below:
COST'
s PB Ratio Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 5.15 Med: 9.87 Max: 19.46
Current: 12.72
During the past 13 years, Costco Wholesale's highest PB Ratio was 19.46. The lowest was 5.15. And the median was 9.87.
COST's PB Ratio is ranked worse than 95.75% of 306
companies
in the Retail - Defensive industry
Industry Median: 1.655
vs COST: 12.72
During the past 12 months, Costco Wholesale's average Book Value Per Share Growth Rate was 23.50% per year.
During the past 3 years, the average Book Value Per Share Growth Rate was 12.20% per year.
During the past 5 years, the average Book Value Per Share Growth Rate was 10.20% per year.
During the past 10 years, the average Book Value Per Share Growth Rate was 10.70% per year.
During the past 13 years, the highest 3-Year average Book Value Per Share Growth Rate of Costco Wholesale was 20.80% per year. The lowest was -5.40% per year. And the median was 10.80% per year.
The PB Ratio works the best for the businesses that earn most of their profit from their assets, e.g. banks and insurance companies.
Be Aware
Some businesses have very light assets, such as software companies or insurance agencies. The PB Ratio does not work well for these companies. Some companies even have negative equity, so the PB Ratio cannot be applied to them.
Costco Wholesale PB Ratio Related Terms
Costco Wholesale PB Ratio Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Costco Wholesale's PB Ratio 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.
For the Discount Stores subindustry, Costco Wholesale's PB Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and PB Ratio 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 PB Ratio vs Retail - Defensive Industry
For the Retail - Defensive industry and Consumer Defensive sector, Costco Wholesale's PB Ratio distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Costco Wholesale's PB Ratio falls into.
The PB Ratio, or Price-to-Book ratio, or Price/Book, is a financial ratio used to compare a company's market price to its Book Value per Share. It is a ratio widely used to value stocks.
* 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.
It can also be calculated from the numbers for the whole company:
A closely related ratio is called Price-to-Tangible-Book. The difference between Price-to-Tangible-Book and PB Ratio is that book value other than intangibles are used in the calculation.
Costco Wholesale (COST) has a PB Ratio of 12.72 as of Jun. 24, 2026. Price-to-Book ratio is the ratio of share price to a company's book value per share. View historical data on Costco Wholesale and its competitors. This is 29% above median its historical median of 9.87. Over the past decade, Costco Wholesale's PB Ratio has ranged from 5.15 to 19.46. According to the industry distribution chart, Costco Wholesale ranks #293 out of 306 companies in the Retail - Defensive industry, placing it in the top 95.8%.
Is Costco Wholesale's PB Ratio too high?
Costco Wholesale's current PB Ratio of 12.72 is 29% above median its 10-year median of 9.87. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 5.15 to a high of 19.46. The Retail - Defensive industry median PB Ratio is 1.66. Costco Wholesale's value of 12.72 is 668.6% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Costco Wholesale ranks #293 out of 306 companies in the Retail - Defensive industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Costco Wholesale has a GF Score™ of 97/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Costco Wholesale's PB Ratio compare to TGT and DG?
According to the Retail - Defensive industry distribution chart, Costco Wholesale ranks #293 out of 306 companies for PB Ratio. This places Costco Wholesale in the lower half of its industry. The industry median PB Ratio is 1.66. Costco Wholesale's value of 12.72 is 668.6% above this benchmark. Historically, Costco Wholesale's own PB Ratio has ranged from 5.15 to 19.46 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 9.87 vs. the industry median of 1.66, Costco Wholesale has consistently been above 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 PB Ratio for a Retail - Defensive company?
The median PB Ratio among Retail - Defensive companies is 1.66, based on 306 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a PB Ratio significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, PB Ratio should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Costco Wholesale's current PB Ratio of 12.72 is 668.6% above 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 PB Ratio mean?
A high PB Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Price-to-Book ratio is the ratio of share price to a company's book value per share. View historical data on Costco Wholesale and its competitors. For the Retail - Defensive industry, the median PB Ratio is 1.66 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Costco Wholesale's current PB Ratio is 12.72, which is 29% above median its own 10-year median of 9.87. 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?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Costco Wholesale (COST) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is $1,014.93, compared to a current price of $961.09 — trading 5.3% below its estimated fair value. The current PB Ratio is 12.72, which is 29% above median its 10-year median of 9.87 and 668.6% above the Retail - Defensive industry median of 1.66. 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 PB Ratio calculated?
PB Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Costco Wholesale (COST), the current PB Ratio is 12.72 as of Jun. 24, 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 (COST) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Costco Wholesale stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $961.09 is trading 5.3% below its estimated GF Value™ of $1,014.93.
GuruFocus considers Costco Wholesale to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for COST:
PB Ratio: 12.72 (29% above median its 10-year median of 9.87)
GF Value™: $1,014.93 vs. price of $961.09 (5.3% below fair value)
Industry Position: 668.6% above the Retail - Defensive median (#293 of 306)
No single metric tells the full story. See the 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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