Buyback yield (TTM)
0.20%
Shareholder yield (TTM)
0.72%
5Y share count change
0.2%
Buyback spend (TTM)
$883.00M
Cumulative buybacks
$12.66B
Key takeaways
- Costco (COST) repurchased about $883.00M of stock over the trailing twelve months.
- Diluted share count is roughly flat (0.2%) over the last ~5 fiscal years — buybacks are offsetting dilution but not shrinking the float.
- TTM buyback ÷ stock-based-comp ratio of 0.97× — repurchases only partially offset SBC dilution.
- Cash buyback spend has compounded at +35.7% per year over the latest 5-year window.
- TTM repurchases used about 14% of free cash flow remaining after dividends.
Dividend & buyback yield over time for Costco (COST)
Stacked annual yields — buyback yield (TTM cash repurchases ÷ market cap) plus dividend yield from the same fiscal-year-end key-metrics period — show how total cash return per dollar of equity has evolved.
Diluted vs basic shares (annual) for Costco (COST)
Diluted weighted-average shares are the EPS denominator — a falling count means buybacks are outpacing SBC dilution.
Year-over-year change in diluted shares for Costco (COST)
Green is fewer shares vs the prior fiscal year (net repurchase); red is growth (dilution). The earliest year shown has no prior year to compare.
Cash buyback spend over time for Costco (COST)
Latest: $903.00M
Overview
As of the 2025 fiscal year, Costco (COST) reported buyback spend of $903.00M – grew 29.0% year-over-year.
Costco buyback spend has grown for 3 consecutive years, with a +35.7% compound annual growth rate over 2020–2025 (5 years).
Between 2007 and 2025, Costco buyback spend plunged 54.3%, falling from $1.98B to $903.00M.
The record annual buyback spend stands at $1.98B, reached in 2007; the historical low of $0.00 was recorded in 1989.
Costco Buyback Spend 2025: $903.00M
Costco posted buyback spend of $903.00M in 2025, grew 29.0% from 2024.
Costco Buyback Spend 2024: $700.00M
In 2024, Costco reported buyback spend of $700.00M, edged up 3.6% from 2023.
Costco Buyback Spend 2023: $676.00M
Costco buyback spend in 2023 was $676.00M, surged 54.0% from 2022.
Costco Buyback Spend 2022: $439.00M
2022's buyback spend for Costco came in at $439.00M, declined 11.5% below 2021.
Costco Buyback Spend 2021: $496.00M
Costco buyback spend in 2021 was $496.00M.
See more financial history for Costco (COST).
Buyback, SBC & dilution history
Buyback spend, SBC, net dilution effect, and share count.
| 2025 | $903.00M | $860.00M | $43.00M | 0.22% | 0.44B | +0.0% | |
| 2024 | $700.00M | $818.00M | −$118.00M | 0.18% | 0.44B | +0.1% | |
| 2023 | $676.00M | $774.00M | −$98.00M | 0.28% | 0.44B | -0.1% | |
| 2022 | $439.00M | $724.00M | −$285.00M | 0.20% | 0.44B | +0.1% | |
| 2021 | $496.00M | $665.00M | −$169.00M | 0.29% | 0.44B | +0.1% | |
| 2020 | $196.00M | $619.00M | −$423.00M | 0.14% | 0.44B | +0.2% | |
| 2019 | $247.00M | $595.00M | −$348.00M | 0.19% | 0.44B | +0.2% | |
| 2018 | $328.00M | $544.00M | −$216.00M | 0.32% | 0.44B | +0.2% | |
| 2017 | $469.00M | $514.00M | −$45.00M | 0.68% | 0.44B | -0.1% | |
| 2016 | $486.00M | $459.00M | $27.00M | 0.68% | 0.44B | -0.3% | |
| 2015 | $481.00M | $394.00M | $87.00M | 0.78% | 0.44B | +0.1% | |
| 2014 | $334.00M | $327.00M | $7.00M | 0.63% | 0.44B | +0.4% | |
| 2013 | $36.00M | $285.00M | −$249.00M | 0.07% | 0.44B | +0.3% | |
| 2012 | $632.00M | $241.00M | $391.00M | 1.50% | 0.44B | -0.8% | |
| 2011 | $624.00M | $207.00M | $417.00M | 1.82% | 0.44B | -0.6% | |
| 2010 | $551.00M | $190.00M | $361.00M | 2.23% | 0.45B | +1.3% | |
| 2009 | $69.00M | $181.00M | −$112.00M | 0.31% | 0.44B | -0.9% | |
| 2008 | $895.31M | $166.00M | $729.31M | 3.07% | 0.44B | -2.9% | |
| 2007 | $1.98B | $0.00 | $1.98B | 7.36% | 0.46B | -4.7% | |
| 2006 | $1.44B | $107.40M | $1.34B | 6.65% | 0.48B | -2.4% | |
| 2005 | $413.25M | $0.00 | $413.25M | 1.99% | 0.49B | +2.0% | |
| 2004 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.48B | +2.4% | |
| 2003 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.47B | -1.7% | |
| 2002 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.48B | +0.7% | |
| 2001 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.48B | +0.0% | |
| 2000 | $99.95M | $0.00 | $99.95M | — | 0.48B | +1.0% | |
| 1999 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.47B | +1.7% | |
| 1998 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.46B | +9.8% | |
| 1997 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.42B | +3.4% | |
| 1996 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | 0.41B | — | |
| 1995 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — | |
| 1994 | $500.00K | $0.00 | $500.00K | — | — | — | |
| 1993 | $6.50M | $0.00 | $6.50M | — | — | — | |
| 1992 | $93.50M | $0.00 | $93.50M | — | — | — | |
| 1991 | $10.90M | $0.00 | $10.90M | — | — | — | |
| 1990 | $52.20M | $0.00 | $52.20M | — | — | — | |
| 1989 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | — | — | — |
- 2025$903.00M
- 2024$700.00M
- 2023$676.00M
- 2022$439.00M
- 2021$496.00M
- 2020$196.00M
- 2019$247.00M
- 2018$328.00M
- 2017$469.00M
- 2016$486.00M
- 2015$481.00M
- 2014$334.00M
- 2013$36.00M
- 2012$632.00M
- 2011$624.00M
- 2010$551.00M
- 2009$69.00M
- 2008$895.31M
- 2007$1.98B
- 2006$1.44B
- 2005$413.25M
- 2004$0.00
- 2003$0.00
- 2002$0.00
- 2001$0.00
- 2000$99.95M
- 1999$0.00
- 1998$0.00
- 1997$0.00
- 1996$0.00
- 1995$0.00
- 1994$500.00K
- 1993$6.50M
- 1992$93.50M
- 1991$10.90M
- 1990$52.20M
- 1989$0.00
Buybacks vs stock-based compensation for Costco (COST)
Annual cash repurchases set against stock-based compensation. Coverage above 1× means buybacks fully offset the equity dilution from SBC. TTM coverage: 0.97×.
Buybacks vs dividends (share of cash returned) for Costco (COST)
How Costco splits cash returned to shareholders between dividends and buybacks.
Sector peers by buyback spend
Companies in the same sector as Costco, ranked by their latest buyback spend.
| $8.09B | |
| $6.50B | |
| $2.38B | |
| $1.00B | |
| $1.00B | |
| $746.00M | |
| $103.65M | |
| $0.00 |
- $8.09B
- $6.50B
- $1.00B
- $1.00B
- $746.00M
- $103.65M
Buyback capacity (TTM)
Free cash flow minus dividends paid versus actual TTM repurchases — the headroom bar shows how much of post-dividend FCF is still being deployed elsewhere.
Headroom $6.50B (TTM FCF − TTM dividends, clamped at zero).
Frequently asked questions
Data & methodology
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