Costco WholesaleCOST +0.36%97 Pretax Margin % is 4.17% as of May. 2026, which is 26% above its 10-year median of 3.32. 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 310 Retail - Defensive companies, Costco Wholesale ranks better than 59.68% on this metric.
The pretax margin, as know as pretax profit margin, is widely used to measure the operating efficiency of a company before deducting taxes.
The pretax margin is sometimes preferred over the net margin as tax expenditures can make profitability comparisons between companies misleading.
It is a useful tool to compare companies operating in the same sector and less effective when comparing companies from other sectors as each industry generally has different operating expenses and sales patterns.
The long term trend of the pretax margin is a good indicator of the competitiveness and health of the business.
Costco Wholesale Pretax Margin % Related Terms
Costco Wholesale Pretax Margin % Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Costco Wholesale's Pretax Margin % 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 Pretax Margin %, along with its competitors' market caps and Pretax Margin % 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 Pretax Margin % vs Retail - Defensive Industry
For the Retail - Defensive industry and Consumer Defensive sector, Costco Wholesale's Pretax Margin % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Costco Wholesale's Pretax Margin % 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.
Costco Wholesale (COST) has a Pretax Margin % of 4.17% as of May. 2026. Pre-Tax margin is the ratio of total pre-tax income to net sales. View historical data on Costco Wholesale and its competitors. This is 26% above median its historical median of 3.32. Over the past decade, Costco Wholesale's Pretax Margin % has ranged from 3.05 to 4.00. According to the industry distribution chart, Costco Wholesale ranks #125 out of 310 companies in the Retail - Defensive industry, placing it in the top 40.3%.
Is Costco Wholesale's Pretax Margin % too high?
Costco Wholesale's current Pretax Margin % of 4.17% is 26% above median its 10-year median of 3.32. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 3.05 to a high of 4.00. The Retail - Defensive industry median Pretax Margin % is 3.02. Costco Wholesale's value of 4.17% is 38.3% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Costco Wholesale ranks #125 out of 310 companies in the Retail - Defensive industry, which is above the industry midpoint. 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 Pretax Margin % compare to TGT and DG?
According to the Retail - Defensive industry distribution chart, Costco Wholesale ranks #125 out of 310 companies for Pretax Margin %. This puts Costco Wholesale in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Pretax Margin % is 3.02. Costco Wholesale's value of 4.17% is 38.3% above this benchmark. Historically, Costco Wholesale's own Pretax Margin % has ranged from 3.05 to 4.00 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 3.32 vs. the industry median of 3.02, 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 Pretax Margin % for a Retail - Defensive company?
The median Pretax Margin % among Retail - Defensive companies is 3.02, based on 310 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Pretax Margin % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Pretax Margin % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Costco Wholesale's current Pretax Margin % of 4.17% is 38.3% 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 Pretax Margin % mean?
A high Pretax Margin % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Pre-Tax margin is the ratio of total pre-tax income to net sales. View historical data on Costco Wholesale and its competitors. For the Retail - Defensive industry, the median Pretax Margin % is 3.02 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Costco Wholesale's current Pretax Margin % is 4.17%, which is 26% above median its own 10-year median of 3.32. 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 $961.17 — trading 5.3% below its estimated fair value. The current Pretax Margin % is 4.17%, which is 26% above median its 10-year median of 3.32 and 38.3% above the Retail - Defensive industry median of 3.02. 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 Pretax Margin % calculated?
Pretax Margin % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Costco Wholesale (COST), the current Pretax Margin % is 4.17% 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 (COST) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Costco Wholesale stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $961.17 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:
Pretax Margin %: 4.17% (26% above median its 10-year median of 3.32)
GF Value™: $1,014.93 vs. price of $961.17 (5.3% below fair value)
Industry Position: 38.3% above the Retail - Defensive median (#125 of 310)
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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