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Costco Wholesale's total free cash flow for the
months ended in May. 2026 was
$2,036 Mil.
Its total free cash flow for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in May. 2026 was $8,806 Mil.
Costco Wholesale's Free Cash Flow per Share for the
months ended in May. 2026 was $4.58.
Its free cash flow per share for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in May. 2026 was $19.81.
During the past 12 months, the average Free Cash Flow per Share Growth Rate of Costco Wholesale was 20.40% per year.
During the past 3 years, the average Free Cash Flow per Share Growth Rate was 30.80% per year.
During the past 5 years, the average Free Cash Flow per Share Growth Rate was 7.60% per year.
During the past 10 years, the average Free Cash Flow per Share Growth Rate was 18.50% per year.
Please click Growth Rate Calculation Example (GuruFocus) to see how GuruFocus calculates Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT)'s revenue growth rate. You can apply the same method to get the Free Cash Flow Growth Rate using Free Cash Flow per Share data.
During the past 13 years, Costco Wholesale's highest 3-Year average Free Cash Flow per Share Growth Rate was 73.30% per year. The lowest was -93.00% per year. And the median was 7.20% per year.
Free Cash Flow is very close to Warren Buffett's definition of Owner's Earnings, except that in Warren Buffett's Owner's Earnings, the spending for Property, Plant, and Equipment is only for maintenance (replacement), while in the Free Cash Flow calculation, the cost of new Property, Plant, and Equipment due to business expansion is also deducted. There, Free Cash Flow is more conservative than Owner's Earnings.
In Don Yacktman's calculation of forward rate of return, he uses Free Cash Flow for the calculation. Yacktman explained the forward rate of return concept in detail in his interview with GuruFocus. Yacktman defines forward rate of return as the normalized free cash flow yield plus real growth plus inflation.
This is what Yacktman said in his March 2012 interview - when the S&P 500 was at 1400:
If the business is stable, this calculation is fairly straightforward. For instance, on the S&P 500 we would normalize earnings. We would then calculate what percentage of those earnings are not reinvested in the underlying businesses and are therefore free. Historically, for the S&P 500, this has been just under 50% of earnings. Currently, we expect the S&P to earn about 70 on a normalized basis, a number which is far below reported earnings due to our adjusting for record high profit margins. $70 X ½ / 1400 gives you a normalized free cash flow yield of approximately 2.5%.
The historical real growth rate of the S&P 500 (companies) is about 1.5%. Assuming an inflation rate of 2.5%, the forward rate of return on an investment in the S&P 500 is about 6.5% today (2.5% free cash flow yield plus 1.5% real growth plus 2.5% inflation).
For the growth part of the Forward Rate of Return calculation, GuruFocus uses the 5-year average growth rate of EBITDA per share as the growth rate, and the growth rate is always capped at 20%. For the Free Cash Flow we use per share data averaged over five years. The reason we use five years is because research shows that five years is the length of the typical business cycle.
* 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.
Be Aware
Free Cash Flow within a report period can be affected by management's decisions of capital spending. Therefore, it is important to look at long term when it comes to Free Cash Flow.
Costco Wholesale Free Cash Flow Related Terms
Costco Wholesale Free Cash Flow Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Costco Wholesale's Free 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.
Free Cash Flow is considered one of the most important parameters to measure a company's earnings power by value investors because it is not subject to estimates of Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization (DDA). However, when we look at the Free Cash Flow, we should look from a long term perspective, because any year's Free Cash Flow can be drastically affected by the spending on Property, Plant, & Equipment (PPE) of the business in that year. Over the long term, Free Cash Flow should give pretty good picture on the real earnings power of the company.
Costco Wholesale's Free Cash Flow for the fiscal year that ended in Aug. 2025 is calculated as
Free Cash Flow for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in May. 2026 adds up the quarterly data reported by the company within the most recent 12 months, which was $8,806 Mil.
* 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 Free Cash Flow of $8,806 Mil as of May. 2026. Free cash flow represents the total amount of cash a company has on hand following operating and capital expenditures. View historial data for Costco Wholesale and its competitors.
Is Costco Wholesale's Free Cash Flow too high?
Costco Wholesale's current Free Cash Flow is $8,806 Mil. Overall, Costco Wholesale has a GF Score™ of 94/100 and is considered Modestly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Costco Wholesale's Free Cash Flow compare to TGT and DG?
Costco Wholesale's Free Cash Flow of $8,806 Mil can be compared against companies in the Retail - Defensive industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Free Cash Flow for a Retail - Defensive company?
A good Free Cash Flow depends on the Retail - Defensive industry context. However, Free Cash Flow 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 Free Cash Flow mean?
A high Free Cash Flow can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Free cash flow represents the total amount of cash a company has on hand following operating and capital expenditures. View historial data for Costco Wholesale and its competitors. Costco Wholesale's current Free Cash Flow is $8,806 Mil. 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 Modestly Undervalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $1,039.12, compared to a current price of $915.74 — trading 11.9% below its estimated fair value. The current Free Cash Flow is $8,806 Mil. Costco Wholesale's overall GF Score™ is 94/100 with 1 warning sign to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Free Cash Flow calculated?
Free Cash Flow is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Costco Wholesale (COST), the current Free Cash Flow is $8,806 Mil 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 $915.74 is trading 11.9% below its estimated GF Value™ of $1,039.12.
GuruFocus considers Costco Wholesale to be Modestly Undervalued.
Key valuation signals for COST:
Free Cash Flow: $8,806 Mil
GF Value™: $1,039.12 vs. price of $915.74 (11.9% 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.
94GF Score
Get the complete analysis for COST
Free Cash Flow is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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