A wonderful business — priced for growth it hasn't delivered.
A great company, but no margin of safety at this price. Worth watching, not worth buying here.
Price against fair value
Free cash flow — 5-year history ($B)
What the math is really telling you. Watch whether cash flow is compounding — that, more than any single year, is what a value read hangs on.
The read — lights & verdict
- OvervaluedFair value ~$354 vs $935 — trading 62% above what the math supports.
- Price is in line with its recordPriced for ~18%/yr, roughly what it has delivered (30.8%/yr).
- Revenue still growingUp 8.2% last year — demand isn't the problem.
- Cash flow compoundingFree cash flow up ~30.8%/yr — the engine is growing.
- Fortress balance sheetNet cash positive (+$8B) — little solvency risk.
How this was built. Every figure is computed from Costco Wholesale Corporation's SEC filings — no estimates, no AI. Two-stage DCF: 9% discount rate, 5% free-cash-flow growth for 10 years, 2.5% terminal. Free cash flow is operating cash flow less capital spending. Net cash is cash and marketable securities less borrowings, commercial paper and finance leases; operating leases are disclosed but never counted as debt. Fundamentals are from the FY25 annual report and change only when a new one is filed. Price of $935.03 taken 2026-07-24 (founder-supplied CSV, July 2026) — it is not live and does not move during the day.