Costco (COST) approves higher $1.47 quarterly dividend, $5.88 annually
Filing Impact
Filing Sentiment
Form Type
8-K
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Costco Wholesale Corporation disclosed that its Board of Directors has raised the quarterly cash dividend on its common stock from $1.30 to $1.47 per share, which equals $5.88 on an annualized basis. The dividend will be paid on May 15, 2026 to shareholders of record as of May 1, 2026.
The company also noted it operates 928 warehouses worldwide, including large footprints in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, along with multiple e-commerce sites in major markets.
Positive
- Quarterly dividend increase: Costco raised its cash dividend from $1.30 to $1.47 per share (13% increase), or $5.88 annually, indicating confidence in its cash flow and ongoing ability to return capital to shareholders.
Negative
- None.
Insights
Costco’s double-digit dividend increase signals confidence in ongoing cash generation.
Costco increased its quarterly dividend from $1.30 to $1.47 per share, or $5.88 annually. Such a raise typically reflects management’s view that current earnings and cash flows can comfortably support higher recurring payouts.
The move matters most to income-focused investors, as a higher dividend directly boosts cash returns on existing holdings. It also reinforces Costco’s track record of returning capital to shareholders while operating a large global warehouse and e-commerce network.
Future company filings and updates will show whether this higher dividend level is maintained alongside any changes in sales trends, cost pressures, or expansion of the 928-warehouse footprint.
8-K Event Classification
2 items: 8.01, 9.01
2 items
Item 8.01
Other Events
Other
Voluntary disclosure of events the company deems important to shareholders but not covered by other items.
Item 9.01
Financial Statements and Exhibits
Exhibits
Financial statements, pro forma financial information, and exhibit attachments filed with this report.
Key Figures
New quarterly dividend: $1.47 per share
Prior quarterly dividend: $1.30 per share
Annualized dividend: $5.88 per share
+4 more
7 metrics
New quarterly dividend
$1.47 per share
Quarterly cash dividend approved by Board
Prior quarterly dividend
$1.30 per share
Previous quarterly cash dividend level
Annualized dividend
$5.88 per share
Annualized rate based on new quarterly dividend
Total warehouses
928 warehouses
Global warehouse count currently operated
US and Puerto Rico warehouses
637 warehouses
Locations in the United States and Puerto Rico
Dividend record date
May 1, 2026
Shareholders of record date for dividend eligibility
Dividend payment date
May 15, 2026
Scheduled payment date for the cash dividend
Key Terms
forward-looking statements, Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, comparable sales, Internal control over financial reporting, +1 more
5 terms
forward-looking statements regulatory
"Certain statements contained in this document constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995."
Forward-looking statements are predictions or plans that companies share about what they expect to happen in the future, like estimating sales or profits. They matter because they help investors understand a company's outlook, but since they are based on guesses and assumptions, they can sometimes be wrong.
Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regulatory
"forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995."
comparable sales financial
"Comparable sales and comparable sales excluding impacts from changes in gasoline prices and foreign exchange are intended as supplemental information."
"Comparable sales" are the total sales from stores or products that have been open for a certain period, usually the same time last year or last quarter. They help show whether a business is growing by comparing similar locations or products over time, much like checking if your favorite store's sales are going up compared to previous years.
Internal control over financial reporting financial
"the ability to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting, regulatory and other impacts related to environmental and social matters"
Internal control over financial reporting is a company’s system of procedures and checks designed to make sure its financial statements are accurate and complete, like a set of guardrails and verification steps that catch mistakes or fraud before numbers are published. Investors care because strong controls make reported results more trustworthy, lower the risk of surprise restatements or regulatory problems, and give greater confidence when valuing the company or comparing it to peers.
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 8-K
CURRENT REPORT
Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported): April 15, 2026
COSTCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) | (Commission File No.) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | ||||||||||||
(Address of principal executive offices and zip code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 425 -313-8100
Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
| Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425) | |||||
| Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12) | |||||
| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b)) | |||||
| Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c)) | |||||
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Title of each class | Trading Symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered | ||||||||||||
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (17 CFR §230.405) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (17 CFR §240.12b-2).
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Item 8.01. Other Events
The Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend on the Company's common stock and approved a quarterly increase from $1.30 to $1.47 per share, $5.88 on an annualized basis. The dividend was declared on April 15, 2026, and is payable May 15, 2026, to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 1, 2026.
Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits
(d) Exhibits.
99.1. Press release dated April 15, 2026.
104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document).
SIGNATURE
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| COSTCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION | |||||||||||
| Dated: April 15, 2026 | By: | /s/ Gary Millerchip | |||||||||
| Gary Millerchip | |||||||||||
| Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | |||||||||||
Exhibit 99.1
Press Release
COSTCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION ANNOUNCES AN INCREASE IN ITS QUARTERLY CASH DIVIDEND
ISSAQUAH, Wash., April 15, 2026 - Costco Wholesale Corporation (“Costco” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: COST) today announced that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend on Costco common stock and approved a quarterly increase from $1.30 to $1.47 per share, $5.88 on an annualized basis. The quarterly dividend is payable May 15, 2026, to shareholders of record at the close of business on May 1, 2026.
Costco currently operates 928 warehouses, including 637 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 115 in Canada, 42 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 and Australia.
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
COST-Comp
FAQ
What dividend change did Costco (COST) announce in this filing?
Costco raised its quarterly cash dividend from $1.30 to $1.47 per share. This represents a meaningful double-digit increase and brings the annualized dividend to $5.88 per share for holders of Costco common stock.
When will Costco’s new dividend be paid and who qualifies?
The increased dividend will be paid on May 15, 2026. Shareholders of record at the close of business on May 1, 2026 will be eligible to receive the $1.47 per-share quarterly cash dividend.
How large is Costco’s global warehouse footprint mentioned in the filing?
Costco reports operating 928 warehouses worldwide. This includes 637 in the United States and Puerto Rico, plus additional locations across Canada, Mexico, Europe, Asia-Pacific regions, and other international markets supporting its membership-based retail model.
In which countries does Costco currently operate warehouses and e-commerce sites?
Costco operates warehouses in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Japan, the U.K., Korea, Australia, Taiwan, China, Spain, France, Sweden, Iceland and New Zealand. It also runs e-commerce sites in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Mexico, Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Australia.
Does the Costco filing include any forward-looking statements or risk reminders?
Yes. Costco includes forward-looking statements and notes risks such as economic conditions, competition, regulation, costs, geopolitical factors, and public-health issues, referencing the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and its other SEC reports for detailed risk discussions.