Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) Dividend
Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) currently pays a dividend yield of 0.59%, distributing $5.54 per share annually ($1.47 per quarter). The company operates in the Consumer Defensive sector.
COST has raised its dividend for 1 consecutive years.
COST dividend at a glance
| Dividend Yield | 0.59% |
|---|---|
| Annual Dividend | $5.54 per share |
| Per Payment | $1.47 |
| Payout Frequency | Quarterly |
| Payments per Year | 4 |
| Next Ex-Dividend Date | October 24, 2026 |
| Next Payment Date | November 14, 2026 |
| Payout Ratio | 27% |
| Consecutive Years of Dividend Growth | 1 |
| Sector | Consumer Defensive |
| Implied Share Price (from yield) | $938.98 |
What COST pays on a $10,000 investment
At a 0.59% yield, $10,000 invested in COST generates about $59.00 per year, or roughly $14.75 every quarter. Share counts below use an implied price of $938.98, derived from the $5.54 annual dividend and the 0.59% yield.
| Amount Invested | Approx. Shares | Annual Dividend Income | Income per Quarter |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,000 | 1.1 | $5.90 | $1.47 |
| $5,000 | 5.3 | $29.50 | $7.38 |
| $10,000 | 10.6 | $59.00 | $14.75 |
| $25,000 | 26.6 | $147.50 | $36.88 |
| $100,000 | 106.5 | $590.00 | $147.50 |
These figures assume the dividend and share price stay where they are today. They do not account for taxes, dividend cuts, price movement, or reinvestment. If you reinvest instead of taking the cash, the share count grows each quarter — see how the dividend snowball compounds.
COST dividend payment schedule
COST pays on a quarterly schedule — 4 payments a year. The next confirmed ex-dividend date is October 24, 2026, with payment on November 14, 2026. Later rows are projected forward at the same interval and will shift when Costco Wholesale Corporation declares each dividend.
| Ex-Dividend Date | Payment Date | Amount per Share | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| October 24, 2026 | November 14, 2026 | $1.47 | Confirmed |
| January 24, 2027 | February 14, 2027 | $1.47 | Projected |
| April 24, 2027 | May 15, 2027 | $1.47 | Projected |
| July 24, 2027 | August 14, 2027 | $1.47 | Projected |
To collect a COST dividend you must own the shares before the ex-dividend date. Buy on the ex-date itself and the previous owner keeps that payment. Read how ex-dividend, record, and payment dates fit together.
How COST's dividend compares
Across the 584 dividend stocks and ETFs DivTrkr tracks, the median yield is 3.75%. COST's 0.59% is 3.17 percentage points below that median, ranking 529th of 584 by yield.
Within Consumer Defensive, where we track 17 names, the median yield is 2.45% — putting COST below its sector.
Its 1-year run of dividend increases ranks 311th out of the 354 names in our data with an active growth streak.
What the numbers mean
COST pays out roughly 27% of its earnings as dividends. That is a conservative payout ratio, leaving substantial room to keep raising the dividend or absorb a weak year.
Like most US dividend payers, COST distributes quarterly, so a full year of ownership produces four payments.
Whether these payments are taxed at the lower qualified rate or as ordinary income depends on how long you hold the shares and what kind of company pays them. See the qualified vs. ordinary dividend rules.
COST dividend FAQ
When is the next COST ex-dividend date?
The next COST ex-dividend date is October 24, 2026, with the payment scheduled for November 14, 2026. You must own shares before the ex-dividend date to receive that payment.
What is COST's dividend yield?
COST currently yields 0.59%, based on $5.54 in dividends per share over the past year.
How often does COST pay dividends?
COST pays quarterly, which works out to 4 payments per year of about $1.47 per share.
How much dividend income would $10,000 of COST generate?
At the current 0.59% yield, $10,000 invested in COST would produce roughly $59.00 per year, or about $14.75 per quarter, before taxes and assuming the dividend holds.
Has COST increased its dividend?
Yes — COST has raised its dividend for 1 consecutive years.
Related dividend stocks
Other Consumer Defensive dividend payers
- UVV — Universal Corporation dividend (6.32%)
- KHC — The Kraft Heinz Company dividend (6.22%)
- BTI — British American Tobacco p.l.c. dividend (5.34%)
- PEP — PepsiCo, Inc. dividend (4.26%)
- UL — Unilever PLC dividend (3.54%)
- TGT — Target Corporation dividend (3.08%)
- KDP — Keurig Dr Pepper Inc. dividend (2.99%)
- KR — The Kroger Co. dividend (2.47%)
Similar yields to COST
- CB — Chubb Limited dividend (0.59%)
- COII — REX COIN Growth & Income ETF dividend (0.59%)
- MA — Mastercard Incorporated dividend (0.59%)
- TPL — Texas Pacific Land Corporation dividend (0.60%)
- CEG — Constellation Energy Corporation dividend (0.61%)
- AVGO — Broadcom Inc dividend (0.62%)
Track COST dividends free with DivTrkr — see exactly what your own position pays, and when. Also browse the full dividend calendar or the A–Z list of dividend stocks.