Costco Wholesale (COST) Return on Capital Employed (2010 - 2026)
Costco Wholesale's (COST) quarterly Return on Capital Employed came in at 25.77% in Q1 2026, down 109.0% YoY from 286.34% in Q1 2025, and down 7.71% on a QoQ basis from 27.92% in Q4 2025.
Costco Wholesale (COST) Return on Capital Employed (2010 - 2026) Analysis & Trends
Costco Wholesale (COST) has 17 years of Return on Capital Employed data on file, last reported at 25.77% in Q1 2026.
- Quarterly Return on Capital Employed fell 109.0% year-over-year to 25.77% in Q1 2026, while the trailing twelve-month figure through Feb 2026 was 25.77% (down 109.0% YoY) and the FY2025 annual result came in at 28.56%, up 121.0% from the prior year.
- Return on Capital Employed eased to 25.77% in Q1 2026, from 27.92% in the prior quarter.
- In the past five years, Return on Capital Employed ranged from a high of 28.5% in Q4 2024 to a low of 22.31% in Q2 2023.
- A 5-year average of 25.46% and a median of 24.51% in 2022 frame the typical range for Return on Capital Employed.
- Annual changes were most pronounced in 2023 — Return on Capital Employed sank 163 bps — and 2024, when it surged 610 bps.
- Tracing COST's Return on Capital Employed over 5 years: stood at 24.51% in 2022, then fell by 2 bps to 24.13% in 2023, then grew by 18 bps to 28.5% in 2024, then declined by 2 bps to 27.92% in 2025, then retreated by 8 bps to 25.77% in 2026.
- The last three Return on Capital Employed figures came in at 25.77% (Q1 2026), 27.92% (Q4 2025), and 26.5% (Q3 2025), per Business Quant data.
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Peer Comparison
| # | Company | Market Cap | Enterprise Value | Gross Profit (Qtr) | ROCE (Qtr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walmart | 824.27 Bn | 813.54 Bn | 44.69 Bn | 17.49% |
| 2 | Costco Wholesale | 420.42 Bn | 400.43 Bn | 9.01 Bn | 26.16% |
| 3 | Target | 74.99 Bn | 71.45 Bn | 7.38 Bn | 12.14% |
| 4 | Dollar General | 27.11 Bn | 25.76 Bn | 3.41 Bn | 9.41% |
| 5 | Dollar Tree | 25.75 Bn | 24.74 Bn | 1.83 Bn | 16.66% |
| 6 | BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings | 12.37 Bn | 12.34 Bn | 1.03 Bn | 17.56% |
| 7 | Bbb Foods | 6.05 Bn | 5.36 Bn | 250.62 Mn | - |
| 8 | Pricesmart | 5.24 Bn | 4.92 Bn | 262.22 Mn | 15.61% |
| 9 | Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings | 4.63 Bn | 4.38 Bn | 275.96 Mn | 12.15% |
Historic Data
Download Data| Date | Value |
|---|---|
| May 10, 2026 | 26.16% |
| Feb 15, 2026 | 25.77% |
| Nov 23, 2025 | 27.92% |
| Aug 31, 2025 | 26.50% |
| May 11, 2025 | 27.42% |
| Feb 16, 2025 | 26.86% |
| Nov 24, 2024 | 28.50% |
| Sep 1, 2024 | 27.79% |
| May 12, 2024 | 28.42% |
| Feb 18, 2024 | 24.07% |
| Nov 26, 2023 | 24.13% |
| Sep 3, 2023 | 23.66% |
| May 7, 2023 | 22.31% |
| Feb 12, 2023 | 23.41% |
| Nov 20, 2022 | 24.51% |
| Aug 28, 2022 | 24.34% |
| May 8, 2022 | 23.94% |
| Feb 13, 2022 | 23.21% |
| Nov 21, 2021 | 24.57% |
| Aug 29, 2021 | 23.27% |