Costco Wholesale Corporation Reports Third Quarter and Year-To-Date Operating Results For Fiscal 2026

About this update from Costco Wholesale Corporation

ISSAQUAH, Wash., May 28, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Costco Wholesale Corporation (“Costco” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: COST) today announced its operating results for the third quarter (twelve weeks) and the first 36 weeks of fiscal 2026, ended May 10, 2026. Net sales for the quarter increased 11.6 percent, to $69.15 billion, from $61.96 billion last year. Net sales for the first 36 weeks increased 9.6 percent, to $203.37 billion, from $185.48 billion last year. Comparable sales for the third quarter and first 36 weeks of fiscal 2026 were as follows:   12 Weeks   12 Weeks   36 Weeks   36 Weeks       Adjusted*       Adjusted* U.S. 9.4%   6.8%   7.1%   6.4% Canada 10.7%   6.2%   9.1%   7.6% Other International 11.2%   5.9%   11.0%   6.6%                 Total Company 9.8%   6.6%   7.9%   6.6%                 Digitally-Enabled 21.5%   20.8%   21.6%   21.1%                 *Excluding the impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange. Net income for the quarter was $2.19 billion, $4.93 per diluted share, compared to $1.90 billion, $4.28 per diluted share, last year. Net income for the first 36 weeks was $6.23 billion, $14.01 per diluted share, compared to $5.49 billion, $12.34 per diluted share, last year. Costco currently operates 931 warehouses, including 639 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 115 in Canada, 43 in Mexico, 37 in Japan, 29 in the United Kingdom, 20 in Korea, 15 in Australia, 14 in Taiwan, seven in China, five in Spain, three in France, two in Sweden, and one each in Iceland, and New Zealand. Costco also operates e-commerce sites in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Mexico, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Australia, and China. A conference call to discuss these results is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. (PT) today, May 28, 2026, and is available via a webcast on investor.costco.com (click on “Events & Presentations”). Certain statements contained in this document constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. For these purposes, forward-looking statements are statements that address activities, events, conditions or developments that the Company expects or anticipates may occur in the future. In some cases forward-looking statements can be identified because they contain words such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “likely,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “project,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “would,” or similar expressions and the negatives of those terms. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events, results or performance to differ materially from those indicated by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, domestic and international economic conditions, including exchange rates, inflation or deflation, the effects of competition and regulation, uncertainties in the financial markets, consumer and small business spending patterns and debt levels, breaches of security or privacy of member or business information, conditions affecting the acquisition, development, ownership or use of real estate, capital spending, actions of vendors, rising costs associated with employees (generally including health-care costs and wages), workforce interruptions, energy and certain commodities, geopolitical conditions (including tariffs and global conflicts), the ability to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting, regulatory and other impacts related to environmental and social matters, public-health related factors, and other risks identified from time to time in the Company’s public statements and reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company does not undertake to update these statements, except as required by law. Comparable sales and comparable sales excluding impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange are intended as supplemental information and are not a substitute for net sales presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. CONTACTS: Costco Wholesale Corporation   Josh Dahmen, 425/313-8254   Andrew Yoon, 425/313-6305   Bryan Starnes, 425/427-7403     COST-Earn COSTCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME  (dollars in millions, except per share data) (unaudited)           12 Weeks Ended   36 Weeks Ended   May 10, 2026   May 11, 2025   May 10, 2026   May 11, 2025 REVENUE               Net sales         $ 69,154     $ 61,965     $ 203,374     $ 185,480   Membership fees           1,373       1,240       4,057       3,599   Total revenue           70,527       63,205       207,431       189,079   OPERATING EXPENSES               Merchandise costs           61,519       54,996       180,748       164,849   Selling, general and administrative           6,193       5,679       18,799       17,188   Operating income           2,815       2,530       7,884       7,042   OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE)               Interest expense           (32 )     (35 )     (100 )     (108 ) Interest income and other, net           155       85       458       374   INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES   2,938       2,580       8,242       7,308   Provision for income taxes           746       677       2,014       1,819   NET INCOME         $ 2,192     $ 1,903     $ 6,228     $ 5,489                   NET INCOME PER COMMON SHARE:               Basic         $ 4.94     $ 4.29     $ 14.03     $ 12.36   Diluted         $ 4.93     $ 4.28     $ 14.01     $ 12.34                   Shares used in calculation (000s):               Basic           443,923       443,958       443,943       443,976   Diluted           444,430       444,762       444,455       444,846                   COSTCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (amounts in millions, except par value and share data) (unaudited) Subject to Reclassification         May 10, 2026   August 31, 2025 ASSETS       CURRENT ASSETS       Cash and cash equivalents         $ 18,946     $ 14,161   Short-term investments           1,050       1,123   Receivables, net           3,750       3,203   Merchandise inventories           19,418       18,116   Other current assets           2,013       1,777   Total current assets           45,177       38,380   OTHER ASSETS       Property and equipment, net           34,293       31,909   Operating lease right-of-use assets           2,747       2,725   Other long-term assets           4,213       4,085   TOTAL ASSETS         $ 86,430     $ 77,099   LIABILITIES AND EQUITY       CURRENT LIABILITIES       Accounts payable         $ 22,363     $ 19,783   Accrued salaries and benefits           5,218       5,205   Accrued member rewards           2,948       2,677   Deferred membership fees           3,157       2,854   Other current liabilities           8,439       6,589   Total current liabilities           42,125       37,108   OTHER LIABILITIES       Long-term debt, excluding current portion           5,670       5,713   Long-term operating lease liabilities           2,466       2,460   Other long-term liabilities           2,660       2,654   TOTAL LIABILITIES           52,921       47,935   COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES       EQUITY       Preferred stock $0.005 par value; 100,000,000 shares authorized; no shares issued and outstanding           —       —   Common stock $0.005 par value; 900,000,000 shares authorized; 443,514,000 and 443,237,000 shares issued and outstanding           2       2   Additional paid-in capital           8,683       8,282   Accumulated other comprehensive loss           (1,658 )     (1,770 ) Retained earnings           26,482       22,650   TOTAL EQUITY           33,509       29,164   TOTAL LIABILITIES AND EQUITY         $ 86,430     $ 77,099               COSTCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS  (amounts in millions) (unaudited) Subject to Reclassification     36 Weeks Ended   May 10, 2026   May 11, 2025 CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES       Net income         $ 6,228     $ 5,489   Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:       Depreciation and amortization           1,791       1,652   Non-cash lease expense           221       208   Stock-based compensation           771       720   Other non-cash operating activities, net           36       (15 ) Changes in working capital           2,086       1,414   Net cash provided by operating activities           11,133       9,468   CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES       Additions to property and equipment           (4,228 )     (3,532 ) Purchases of short-term investments           (480 )     (573 ) Maturities of short-term investments           544       786   Other investing activities, net           4       (24 ) Net cash used in investing activities           (4,160 )     (3,343 ) CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES       Repayments of short-term borrowings           (390 )     (635 ) Proceeds from short-term borrowings           459       616   Repayments of long-term debt           (69 )     —   Tax withholdings on stock-based awards           (361 )     (392 ) Repurchases of common stock           (603 )     (623 ) Cash dividend payments           (1,154 )     (1,030 ) Financing lease payments and other financing activities, net           (57 )     (118 ) Net cash used in financing activities           (2,175 )     (2,182 ) EFFECT OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES ON CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS           (13 )     (13 ) Net change in cash and cash equivalents           4,785       3,930   CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS BEGINNING OF YEAR           14,161       9,906   CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS END OF PERIOD         $ 18,946     $ 13,836  

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