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Costco Wholesale has the Profitability Rank of 9. It has a higher profitability and may stay that way.
GuruFocus Profitability Rank ranks how profitable a company is and how likely the company's business will stay that way. It is rated on a scale of 1 to 10 and is based on these factors:
1. Operating Margin %
2. Piotroski F-Score
3. Trend of the Operating Margin % (5-year average). The company with an uptrend profit margin has a higher rank.
4. Consistency of the profitability
5. Predictability Rank
A higher score indicates superior profitability, with companies rated 7 or above considered to have more robust and sustainable profit generation. Conversely, a score of 3 or lower suggests challenges in generating consistent profits.
COST vs TGT, DG, DLTR: Profitability Rank Comparison
For the Discount Stores subindustry, Costco Wholesale's Profitability Rank, along with its competitors' market caps and Profitability Rank 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 Profitability Rank vs Retail - Defensive Industry
For the Retail - Defensive industry and Consumer Defensive sector, Costco Wholesale's Profitability Rank distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Costco Wholesale's Profitability Rank falls into.
GuruFocus Profitability Rank ranks how profitable a company is and how likely the company's business will stay that way.
The rank is rated on a scale of 1 to 10. A higher score indicates superior profitability, with companies rated 7 or above considered to have more robust and sustainable profit generation. Conversely, a score of 3 or lower suggests challenges in generating consistent profits.
Costco Wholesale has the Profitability Rank of 9. It has a higher profitability and may stay that way.
Profitability Rank is not directly related to the Financial Strength. But if a company is consistently profitable, its financial strength will be stronger.
Operating Margin % - also known as operating income margin, operating profit margin and return on sales (ROS) - is the ratio of Operating Income divided by net sales or Revenue, usually presented in percent.
* 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 Profitability Rank of 9 as of May. 2026. Profitability and Growth ranks a company based on its profit margins and earnings growth. View historical data on Costco Wholesale and its competitors. This is near median its historical median of 9.00. Over the past decade, Costco Wholesale's Profitability Rank has ranged from 8.00 to 9.00.
Is Costco Wholesale's Profitability Rank too high?
Costco Wholesale's current Profitability Rank of 9 is near median its 10-year median of 9.00. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 8.00 to a high of 9.00. Overall, Costco Wholesale has a GF Score™ of 96/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Costco Wholesale's Profitability Rank compare to TGT and DG?
Costco Wholesale's Profitability Rank of 9 can be compared against companies in the Retail - Defensive industry. Historically, Costco Wholesale's own Profitability Rank has ranged from 8.00 to 9.00 over the past decade. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Profitability Rank for a Retail - Defensive company?
A good Profitability Rank depends on the Retail - Defensive industry context. However, Profitability Rank should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Profitability Rank mean?
A high Profitability Rank can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Profitability and Growth ranks a company based on its profit margins and earnings growth. View historical data on Costco Wholesale and its competitors. Costco Wholesale's current Profitability Rank is 9, which is near median its own 10-year median of 9.00. 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 $1,024.08, compared to a current price of $935.80 — trading 8.6% below its estimated fair value. The current Profitability Rank is 9, which is near median its 10-year median of 9.00. Costco Wholesale's overall GF Score™ is 96/100 with 1 warning sign to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Profitability Rank calculated?
Profitability Rank is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Costco Wholesale (COST), the current Profitability Rank is 9 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 $935.80 is trading 8.6% below its estimated GF Value™ of $1,024.08.
GuruFocus considers Costco Wholesale to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for COST:
Profitability Rank: 9 (near median its 10-year median of 9.00)
GF Value™: $1,024.08 vs. price of $935.80 (8.6% below fair value)
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.
96GF Score
Get the complete analysis for COST
Profitability Rank is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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