Costco Wholesale (COST) Return on Capital Employed (2010 - 2026)

Costco Wholesale has reported Return on Capital Employed for 17 years, with the latest figure at 25.77% in Q1 2026.

• For the quarter ending Q1 2026, Return on Capital Employed fell 109.0% year-over-year to 25.77%; the trailing twelve-month figure through Feb 2026 stood at 25.77% (down 109.0% YoY), and the FY2025 full-year result was 28.56%, up 121.0% from the prior year.
• Return on Capital Employed for Q1 2026 stood at 25.77%, down from 27.92% in the prior quarter.
• The five-year high for Return on Capital Employed was 28.5% in Q4 2024, with the low at 22.31% in Q2 2023.
• Historically, Return on Capital Employed has averaged 25.46% across 5 years, with a median of 24.51% in 2022.
• Annual changes were most pronounced in 2023 — Return on Capital Employed sank 163 bps — and 2024, when it surged 610 bps.
• Costco Wholesale's Return on Capital Employed 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.