Costco Wholesale (COST) Operating Margin (2009 - 2026)
Costco Wholesale's (COST) quarterly Operating Margin came in at 3.74% in Q1 2026, up 11.0% YoY from 3.37% in Q1 2025, and up 2.32% on a QoQ basis from 3.66% in Q4 2025.
Costco Wholesale (COST) Operating Margin (2009 - 2026) Analysis & Trends
Costco Wholesale (COST) has 18 years of Operating Margin data on file, last reported at 3.74% in Q1 2026.
- Quarterly Operating Margin rose 11.0% year-over-year to 3.74% in Q1 2026, while the trailing twelve-month figure through Feb 2026 was 3.82% (up 13.0% YoY) and the FY2025 annual result came in at 3.77%, up 12.0% from the prior year.
- Operating Margin climbed to 3.74% in Q1 2026, from 3.66% in the prior quarter.
- In the past five years, Operating Margin ranged from a high of 4.0% in Q2 2025 to a low of 3.13% in Q2 2023.
- A 5-year average of 3.57% and a median of 3.53% in 2024 frame the typical range for Operating Margin.
- Annual changes were most pronounced in 2023 — Operating Margin fell 28 bps — and 2024, when it jumped 62 bps.
- Tracing COST's Operating Margin over 5 years: stood at 3.22% in 2022, then rose by 7 bps to 3.43% in 2023, then climbed by 3 bps to 3.53% in 2024, then climbed by 4 bps to 3.66% in 2025, then rose by 2 bps to 3.74% in 2026.
- The last three Operating Margin figures came in at 3.74% (Q1 2026), 3.66% (Q4 2025), and 3.88% (Q3 2025), per Business Quant data.
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Peer Comparison
| # | Company | Market Cap | Enterprise Value | Gross Profit (Qtr) | Operating Margin (Qtr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walmart | 828.54 Bn | 817.81 Bn | 44.69 Bn | 4.22% |
| 2 | Costco Wholesale | 414.96 Bn | 394.96 Bn | 9.01 Bn | 3.99% |
| 3 | Target | 72.00 Bn | 68.46 Bn | 7.38 Bn | 4.46% |
| 4 | Dollar General | 26.64 Bn | 25.29 Bn | 3.41 Bn | 5.92% |
| 5 | Dollar Tree | 25.25 Bn | 24.24 Bn | 1.83 Bn | 9.51% |
| 6 | BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings | 11.76 Bn | 11.73 Bn | 1.03 Bn | 3.67% |
| 7 | Bbb Foods | 5.91 Bn | 5.23 Bn | 250.62 Mn | 22.24% |
| 8 | Pricesmart | 5.12 Bn | 4.80 Bn | 262.22 Mn | 4.43% |
| 9 | Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings | 4.56 Bn | 4.31 Bn | 275.96 Mn | 10.56% |
Historic Data
Download Data| Date | Value |
|---|---|
| May 10, 2026 | 3.99% |
| Feb 15, 2026 | 3.74% |
| Nov 23, 2025 | 3.66% |
| Aug 31, 2025 | 3.88% |
| May 11, 2025 | 4.00% |
| Feb 16, 2025 | 3.63% |
| Nov 24, 2024 | 3.53% |
| Sep 1, 2024 | 3.82% |
| May 12, 2024 | 3.75% |
| Feb 18, 2024 | 3.53% |
| Nov 26, 2023 | 3.43% |
| Sep 3, 2023 | 3.52% |
| May 7, 2023 | 3.13% |
| Feb 12, 2023 | 3.44% |
| Nov 20, 2022 | 3.22% |
| Aug 28, 2022 | 3.46% |
| May 8, 2022 | 3.41% |
| Feb 13, 2022 | 3.49% |
| Nov 21, 2021 | 3.36% |
| Aug 29, 2021 | 3.63% |