How does Costco (COST) make money?

Costco (COST) generates revenue primarily from Food and Sundries, which accounted for 39.6% of total revenue in TTM through Q2 2026. The company reported $294B in revenue and converted 3% of it into net profit, equivalent to roughly $8.84B in net income — what's left after the cost of revenue, operating expenses, interest, and income taxes.

What is the gross profit margin of Costco (COST)?

Costco (COST) reported a gross profit margin of 12.9% in TTM through Q2 2026, equivalent to $37.8B in gross profit on $294B in revenue. Gross margin measures how much of each dollar of revenue remains after the direct cost of producing or delivering the product — a higher figure typically signals pricing power, scale, or a less capital-intensive business model.

What is the operating profit margin of Costco (COST)?

Costco (COST) reported an operating profit margin of 3.8% in TTM through Q2 2026, equivalent to $11.2B in operating income. Operating margin captures profitability after research & development, sales & marketing, and general & administrative expenses — but before interest, taxes, and one-off items — and is the cleanest single read on the underlying business's efficiency.

What is the net profit margin of Costco (COST)?

Costco (COST) reported a net profit margin of 3% in TTM through Q2 2026, equivalent to $8.84B in net income. Net margin is the bottom-line share of revenue that survives every expense — operating costs, interest, and income taxes — and is the figure that flows directly into earnings per share.

Is Costco (COST) profitable?

Yes. Costco (COST) reported $8.84B in net income for TTM through Q2 2026, with a net profit margin of 3%. The company earned more from its operations than it paid out in costs, interest, and income taxes, leaving positive earnings on the bottom line.

How much does Costco (COST) spend on capital expenditures?

Costco (COST) spent $6.19B on capital expenditures (CapEx) during TTM through Q2 2026, roughly 2.1% of total revenue. CapEx represents long-lived investment in property, equipment, data centres, and other physical infrastructure, and is subtracted from operating cash flow to arrive at free cash flow.

How much free cash flow does Costco (COST) generate?

Costco (COST) generated $8.81B in free cash flow during TTM through Q2 2026, a free-cash-flow margin of 3.0%. Free cash flow is the cash left after capital expenditures and represents the discretionary pool the company can use to pay dividends, repurchase shares, repay debt, or fund acquisitions without raising external capital.

What is the effective tax rate of Costco (COST)?

Costco (COST) had an effective tax rate of 24.8% in TTM through Q2 2026. The effective rate is the actual share of pre-tax income paid as income taxes and can differ materially from the statutory rate due to foreign earnings mix, tax credits (such as R&D), share-based compensation deductions, and one-off discrete items.

What are the main business segments of Costco (COST)?

Costco (COST) reports revenue across 5 reportable product segments, led by Food and Sundries at 39.6% of total revenue in TTM through Q2 2026. See the revenue-by-segment table on this page for the full breakdown and how each segment feeds into the income-statement waterfall above.

How Costco Makes Money: 2026 Visual Revenue Map

Costco (COST) Income Statement Flow — TTM through Q2 2026

Calculated from the four most recent reported quarters, ending May 10, 2026 (reported May 28, 2026).

Costco discloses geographic revenue only in annual filings. to view the full breakdown.

Costco (COST) Revenue by Product Segment — TTM through Q2 2026

Aggregated from the four quarterly disclosures behind this TTM. Minor differences vs the company's annual filing can occur if reported segments changed mid-year.

Revenue contribution by product segment for Costco (COST), TTM through Q2 2026.
Segment	Revenue (USD)	% of total
Food and Sundries	$116B	39.6%
Non-Foods	$76.3B	26%
Other	$54.3B	18.5%
Fresh Food	$40.9B	13.9%
Membership	$5.8B	2%
Total	$294B	100%

Food and Sundries$116B
Non-Foods$76.3B
Other$54.3B
Fresh Food$40.9B
Membership$5.8B
Total$294B

Revenue Breakdown — TTM through Q2 2026

In TTM through Q2 2026, Costco (COST) reports revenue across 5 reportable product segments; the largest segment was Food and Sundries at 39.6%, followed by Non-Foods (26%) and Other (18.5%).

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