Costco had a strong end to its 2018 fiscal year, reporting $141.6 billion in revenues, up 9.7% from 2017. And although the wholesaler might be famous for its low prices, its shares are on the rise. While Costco’s stock dropped 12% in December after barely missing its first-quarter earnings estimate—which its CFO attributed to the pressure Amazon’s Whole Foods and Walmart’s Sam’s Club has put on its profit margins in the fresh groceries space—it quickly rebounded, going up about 20% four months into the new year. In spite of bumps in the road, Costco maintains a fiercely loyal, steadily growing membership base around the world. Costco will be opening its first Chinese store in Shanghai this September, and it will continue to expand its e-commerce offerings to stay in step with the competition.
Company Info
| CEO | W. Craig Jelinek |
| CEO Title | President, Chief Executive Officer & Director |
| Sector | Retailing |
| Industry | General Merchandisers |
| HQ Location | Issaquah, Wash. |
| Website | www.costco.com |
| Years on Fortune 500 List | 25 |
| Employees | 194,000 |
Key Financials (Last Fiscal Year)
| Revenues ($M) | $141,576 |
| Profits ($M) | $3,134 |
| Assets ($M) | $40,830 |
| Total Stockholder Equity ($M) | $12,799 |
Profit Ratios
| Profit as % of Revenues | 2.2% |
| Profits as % of Assets | 7.7% |
| Profits as % of Stockholder Equity | 24.5% |
Earnings Per Share (Last Fiscal Year)
| Earnings Per Share ($) | 7 |
| EPS % Change (from 2017) | 16.6% |
| EPS % Change (5 year annual rate) | 8.9% |
| EPS % Change (10 year annual rate) | 9.4% |
Total Return
| Total Return to Investors (2018) | 10.6% |
| Total Return to Investors (5 year, annualized) | 14.2% |
| Total Return to Investors (10 year, annualized) | 17.5% |
