Research cutoff: September 13, 2026. Dollar amounts are USD per common share unless stated otherwise. This guide separates declared payments, calculations and unannounced future decisions.
Costco’s latest verified regular quarterly dividend is $1.47, equivalent to $5.88 under a four-payment scenario. Three declared 2026 payments total $4.24 per share because February used the older $1.30 rate. No new special dividend or split is assumed for 2027.
Costco’s verified 2026 regular dividends
The January notice, April increase and July SEC filing provide the amounts and dates below. The July filing distinguishes the July 7 board declaration from the July 8 release date. The table uses payable dates to organize calendar income.
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| Record date | Payable date | Per share |
|---|---|---|
| January 30, 2026 | February 13, 2026 | $1.30 |
| May 1, 2026 | May 15, 2026 | $1.47 |
| July 24, 2026 | August 7, 2026 | $1.47 |
The sum is $4.24 per share, or $424 for 100 shares eligible for all three payments. If a fourth regular $1.47 payment were later declared for 2026, the resulting calendar total would be $5.71, not $5.88. A new annualized rate uses four identical payments; the historical calendar can contain more than one rate.
Regular-income scenarios for 2027
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| Assumed payments | Annual per share | 100 eligible shares |
|---|---|---|
| Four at $1.47 | $5.88 | $588 |
| One at $1.47 and three at hypothetical $1.55 | $6.12 | $612 |
| Four at hypothetical $1.30 | $5.20 | $520 |
The higher and lower inputs are not Costco guidance. They are sensitivities with no assigned probability. Payment dates for 2027 remain unannounced in this guide. A hypothetical increase beginning only with the last installment would produce $5.96 instead of $6.12, demonstrating why the timing of a raise changes the cash actually received.
Do not budget an unannounced special dividend
A special cash dividend is a separate board decision from a regular quarterly payment. It should have its own amount and eligibility record. This guide verifies no new special distribution for the forecast period and adds none to its regular-income scenarios. A company’s capacity to distribute excess cash is not an obligation to do so on an investor’s preferred timetable.
For illustration only, a hypothetical one-time $5 payment added to $5.88 regular income would produce $10.88 for that year. Multiplying the special payment by four would be incorrect. Carrying it automatically into the following year would also overstate recurring income. Neither the $5 amount nor the event is a Costco forecast.
Membership economics and dividend coverage
Our Costco framework reviews membership retention and fee income together with the economics of merchandise sales. A stable membership base can be valuable, but fees support the business rather than belonging automatically to dividend recipients. Warehouse expansion, inventory, labor and technology investment compete for cash before shareholders receive distributions.
Compare recurring operating cash with capital spending across similar seasonal periods. Examine comparable sales on a basis that separates fuel-price and currency effects when relevant. A reported sales increase driven by those factors may not imply an equivalent improvement in cash available for dividends. Also evaluate the price paid for the shares: business quality and investment valuation are different questions.
Costco’s split, spin-off and merger records
The issuer-hosted corporate-action history lists a 2-for-1 split dated January 13, 2000 and separately identifies a 1994 Price Enterprises spin-off and the 1993 Price Company merger exchange. These are different event types. They should not be combined into a recurring annual bonus-share calculation. No new 2026 or 2027 split is verified here.
After a hypothetical 2-for-1 split, 20 shares become 40 while the theoretical price halves. A spin-off instead distributes an interest in another business, and a merger exchanges securities under transaction terms. Neither historical event supplies a confirmed future cash-dividend date.
Frequently asked questions
Is Costco’s $5.88 the confirmed calendar-2026 total?
No. It is the annualized regular rate; the earlier 2026 payment used $1.30.
Should special dividends be counted as recurring yield?
No. Keep a separately declared one-time distribution separate from the ordinary annual rate.
Continue your research
Read our split and dividend research for the wider business context, or compare our September dividend research. A dividend is one part of total return, not protection against a fall in the share price.
LiveTodayStock editorial research. Educational information, not personalized investment advice. Cash examples are gross, exclude taxes and fees, and assume the specified shares qualified for each distribution. Future dividends require board approval.