Question 1

What is Costco's P/FCF ratio?

Accepted Answer

Costco (COST) P/FCF ratio is 49.0× as of June 5, 2026. The ratio is calculated by dividing market capitalisation by trailing twelve-month free cash flow, using USD-normalised financials (IAS 21 exchange-rate translation for non-USD reporters).

Question 2

How is the P/FCF ratio calculated?

Accepted Answer

P/FCF = Market Capitalisation ÷ Trailing Twelve-Month (TTM) Free Cash Flow, where Free Cash Flow = Operating Cash Flow − Capital Expenditures. All inputs are sourced from audited GAAP/IFRS filings and translated to USD using period-end exchange rates so the multiple is comparable across companies and currencies.

Question 3

What is the P/FCF ratio?

Accepted Answer

The price-to-free-cash-flow (P/FCF) ratio compares a company's market capitalisation to its trailing twelve-month (TTM) free cash flow. It is calculated as market cap ÷ TTM free cash flow, where free cash flow = operating cash flow − capital expenditures. Because FCF cannot be inflated by non-cash accounting items, P/FCF is often considered a cleaner measure of "earnings-power valuation" than P/E — especially for capital-intensive businesses where depreciation diverges from real cash outflows.

Question 4

What is a good P/FCF ratio for Costco?

Accepted Answer

Mature companies that consistently convert profit into cash often trade at 15–25× P/FCF; capital-intensive businesses with lumpy capex typically trade lower. Compare against sector peers and against the company's own multi-year average — single-year P/FCF can be distorted by working-capital swings. For Costco specifically, the relevant sector benchmark is the current sector median of 16.8×.

Question 5

Is Costco's P/FCF ratio high or low?

Accepted Answer

Costco's P/FCF ratio of 49.0× is below its own 5-year average of 51.7× and above the sector median of 16.8×. That places the current reading at the 47th percentile of its 10-year history. A higher multiple usually reflects stronger expected growth, lower perceived risk, or higher returns on capital; a lower multiple reflects the opposite.

Question 6

What is Costco's historical P/FCF ratio range?

Accepted Answer

In the available daily series, Costco (COST) P/FCF ratio has ranged from a low of 11.9× in 2004 to a high of 178.3× in 2002. The 5-year average is 51.7× and the 5-year median is 50.0×.

Question 7

What was Costco's P/FCF ratio in 2025?

Accepted Answer

Costco (COST) P/FCF ratio at the end of 2025 was 53.4×. Annual values reflect the multiple on the last trading day of each calendar year, using the trailing twelve-month free cash flow figure available at that date.

Question 8

Why does Costco's P/FCF ratio change over time?

Accepted Answer

Valuation multiples move with two inputs: the numerator (market capitalisation, which tracks the share price) and the denominator (free cash flow). Share-price changes — driven by interest rates, earnings expectations, risk appetite, and broader market sentiment — typically dominate short-term moves, while changes in the underlying fundamental drive the longer-term trend. As a result, the ratio can rise during stock-price rallies even if the business itself has not become more valuable, and fall during sell-offs even when fundamentals are improving.


2025	$418.84B	$7.84B	53.4×	-6.3×	Aug 31, 2025
2024	$396.23B	$6.63B	59.8×	+23.6×	Sep 1, 2024
2023	$243.81B	$6.75B	36.1×	-30.0×	Aug 31, 2023
2022	$231.73B	$3.50B	66.2×	+28.6×	Aug 31, 2022
2021	$201.89B	$5.37B	37.6×	+12.1×	Aug 31, 2021
2020	$154.02B	$6.05B	25.5×	-13.1×	Aug 31, 2020
2019	$129.61B	$3.36B	38.6×	+2.2×	Aug 31, 2019
2018	$102.19B	$2.81B	36.4×	+20.2×	Aug 31, 2018
2017	$68.62B	$4.22B	16.2×	-94.1×	Aug 31, 2017
2016	$70.96B	$643.00M	110.4×	+88.0×	Aug 31, 2016
2015	$61.46B	$2.75B	22.3×	-32.3×	Aug 31, 2015
2014	$53.02B	$970.00M	54.7×	+29.4×	Aug 31, 2014
2013	$48.86B	$1.94B	25.2×	-1.6×	Aug 31, 2013
2012	$42.27B	$1.58B	26.8×	+8.8×	Aug 31, 2012
2011	$34.29B	$1.91B	18.0×	+3.7×	Aug 31, 2011
2010	$24.69B	$1.73B	14.3×	-12.1×	Aug 31, 2010
2009	$22.21B	$842.00M	26.4×	-24.0×	Aug 31, 2009
2008	$29.12B	$577.60M	50.4×	+11.5×	Aug 31, 2008
2007	$26.89B	$690.71M	38.9×	+3.6×	Aug 31, 2007
2006	$21.70B	$614.72M	35.3×	+9.0×	Aug 31, 2006
2005	$20.72B	$787.75M	26.3×	+12.7×	Aug 31, 2005
2004	$19.02B	$1.39B	13.7×	-8.6×	Aug 31, 2004
2003	$15.48B	$696.54M	22.2×	—	Aug 31, 2003
2002	$15.22B	−$20.36M	—	—	Aug 31, 2002


Tyson Foods (TSN)	18.4×
Colgate-Palmolive (CL)	18.2×
Kenvue (KVUE)	18.1×
Hormel Foods (HRL)	17.1×
Universal Corporation (UVV)	16.5×
Marzetti (MZTI)	15.3×
Constellation Brands (STZ)	15.3×
General Mills (GIS)	14.9×
Target (TGT)	14.1×
Brown-Forman (BF-B)	13.2×
Altria Group (MO)	12.8×
Performance Food Group (PFGC)	12.7×
Kimberly-Clark (KMB)	12.4×
Dollar Tree (DLTR)	12.0×
J. M. Smucker (SJM)	11.5×
Kroger (KR)	11.2×
Conagra Brands (CAG)	10.7×
Lamb Weston (LW)	10.3×
Campbell Soup (CPB)	8.9×
Dollar General (DG)	8.7×
Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP)	8.3×
Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM)	7.3×
Molson Coors Beverage (TAP)	7.0×
Kraft Heinz (KHC)	6.6×
Albertsons Companies (ACI)	4.4×

P/FCF Ratio for Costco (COST)

P/FCF Ratio daily chart for Costco (COST)

Historical P/FCF Ratio for Costco (COST) from 2002 to 2025

About P/FCF Ratio at Costco (COST)

Costco P/FCF Ratio by Year

Costco P/FCF Ratio 2025: 53.4×

Costco P/FCF Ratio 2024: 59.8×

Costco P/FCF Ratio 2023: 36.1×

Costco P/FCF Ratio 2022: 66.2×

Costco P/FCF Ratio 2021: 37.6×

Sector peers by P/FCF Ratio — chart

Sector peers by P/FCF Ratio — table

Frequently asked questions

Costco (COST) Key Financials

P/FCF Ratio daily chart for Costco (COST)

Historical P/FCF Ratio for Costco (COST) from 2002 to 2025

About P/FCF Ratio at Costco (COST)

Costco P/FCF Ratio by Year

Costco P/FCF Ratio 2025: 53.4×

Costco P/FCF Ratio 2024: 59.8×

Costco P/FCF Ratio 2023: 36.1×

Costco P/FCF Ratio 2022: 66.2×

Costco P/FCF Ratio 2021: 37.6×

Sector peers by P/FCF Ratio — chart

Sector peers by P/FCF Ratio — table

Frequently asked questions

+What is Costco's P/FCF ratio?

+How is the P/FCF ratio calculated?

+What is the P/FCF ratio?

+What is a good P/FCF ratio for Costco?

+Is Costco's P/FCF ratio high or low?

+What is Costco's historical P/FCF ratio range?

+What was Costco's P/FCF ratio in 2025?

+Why does Costco's P/FCF ratio change over time?

Costco (COST) Key Financials