Costco Wholesale (COST) Cash Flow: Operating & Free Cash Flow

Costco Wholesale Cash Flow Statement Analysis

Operating, investing, and financing activities in billions USD

Income Statement Balance Sheet Cash Flow Ratios

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Cash flow statement showing operating, investing, and financing activities for Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) - Annual data in billions USD
Breakdown	FY 2025	FY 2024	FY 2024	FY 2023	FY 2023	FY 2022	FY 2021	FY 2020	FY 2019	FY 2018	FY 2017
Period Ending	Aug 2025	Sep 2024	Aug 2024	Sep 2023	Aug 2023	Aug 2022	Aug 2021	Aug 2020	Aug 2019	Aug 2018	Aug 2017
Operating Activities
Net Income	8.10	7.37	7.37	6.29	6.29	5.92	5.08	4.06	3.70	3.18	2.71
Depreciation & Amortization	2.43	2.24	2.24	2.08	2.08	1.90	1.78	1.65	1.49	1.44	1.37
Deferred Income Tax	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	-0.04	0.06	0.10	0.15	-0.05	-0.03
Stock Based Compensation	0.86	0.82	0.82	0.77	0.77	0.72	0.67	0.62	0.60	0.54	0.51
Change in Working Capital	1.76	0.61	0.61	1.02	1.02	-1.56	1.00	2.20	0.41	0.67	2.17
Change in Inventory	0.56	-2.07	-2.07	1.23	1.23	-4.00	-1.89	-0.79	-0.54	-1.31	-0.89
Change in Accounts Payable	0.40	1.94	1.94	-0.38	-0.38	1.89	1.84	2.26	0.32	1.56	2.26
Change in Other Working Capital	0.80	0.74	0.32	0.17	0.17	0.38	1.06	0.73	0.62	0.42	0.81
Other Operating Activities	0.19	0.32	0.32	0.41	0.91	0.38	0.37	0.24	0.01	-0.01	-0.01
Net Cash from Operating Activities	13.34	11.34	11.34	11.07	11.07	7.39	8.96	8.86	6.36	5.77	6.73
Investing Activities
Capital Expenditures	-5.50	-4.71	-4.71	-4.32	-4.32	-3.89	-3.59	-2.81	-3.00	-2.97	-2.50
Acquisitions	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00	-0.84	0.00	-1.16	0.00	0.00	0.00
Purchases of Investments	-1.03	0.32	-1.47	-0.69	-1.62	-1.12	-1.33	-1.63	-1.09	-1.06	-1.28
Sales/Maturities of Investments	1.14	0.00	1.79	0.00	0.94	1.15	1.45	1.68	1.23	1.08	1.39
Other Investing Activities	0.07	-0.02	-0.02	0.04	0.04	-0.05	-0.06	0.03	0.00	0.00	0.03
Net Cash from Investing Activities	-5.31	-4.41	-4.41	-4.97	-4.97	-3.92	-3.54	-3.89	-2.87	-2.95	-2.37
Financing Activities
Debt Repayment	-0.30	-2.13	-2.13	-1.30	-0.38	-0.99	-0.12	0.79	0.42	-0.01	1.35
Common Stock Repurchased	-0.90	-1.02	-0.70	-0.98	-0.68	-0.44	-0.50	-0.20	-0.25	-0.33	-0.47
Dividends Paid	-2.18	-2.39	-9.04	-1.25	-1.25	-1.50	-5.75	-1.48	-1.04	-0.69	-3.90
Other Financing Activities	-0.39	-0.14	-0.32	-0.29	-0.30	-1.41	-0.12	-0.26	-0.28	-0.26	-0.19
Net Cash from Financing Activities	-3.78	-10.76	-10.76	-2.61	-2.61	-4.28	-6.49	-1.15	-1.15	-1.28	-3.22
Summary
Effect of Forex Changes on Cash	0.01	0.00	0.04	0.00	0.02	-0.25	0.05	0.07	-0.02	-0.04	0.03
Net Change in Cash	4.26	-3.79	-3.83	3.50	3.50	-0.81	-1.02	3.89	2.33	1.51	1.17
Cash at Beginning of Period	9.91	0.00	13.70	0.00	10.20	11.26	12.28	8.38	6.06	4.55	3.38
Cash at End of Period	14.16	0.00	9.91	0.00	13.70	10.20	11.26	12.28	8.38	6.06	4.55
Free Cash Flow	7.84	6.63	6.63	6.75	6.75	3.50	5.37	6.05	3.36	2.81	4.22
Supplemental Disclosures
Interest Paid	0.11	0.13	0.00	0.13	0.00	0.15	0.15	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00
Income Taxes Paid	2.92	2.32	0.00	2.23	0.00	1.94	1.53	0.00	0.00	0.00	0.00

Frequently Asked Questions About Costco Wholesale Cash Flow

What is a cash flow statement?

A cash flow statement tracks the actual cash moving in and out of a company during a period. It's divided into three sections: operating activities (core business), investing activities (assets and investments), and financing activities (debt and equity). Unlike the income statement, it shows real cash rather than accounting profits.

What is operating cash flow?

Operating cash flow is the cash generated from a company's core business operations. It adjusts net income for non-cash items like depreciation and changes in working capital. Strong operating cash flow indicates the business can fund operations without external financing.

What is free cash flow (FCF)?

Free cash flow is operating cash flow minus capital expenditures. It represents the cash available for dividends, share buybacks, debt repayment, or reinvestment. FCF is considered one of the most important metrics for evaluating a company's financial health.

What are capital expenditures?

Capital expenditures (CapEx) are funds spent on acquiring or maintaining physical assets like property, equipment, and technology. CapEx appears in the investing activities section and is subtracted from operating cash flow to calculate free cash flow.

How is COST's cash generation trending?

Review Costco Wholesale's operating cash flow and free cash flow figures in the quarterly and annual data above. Consistent growth in operating cash flow relative to net income indicates high-quality earnings.

Costco Wholesale (COST) Cash Flow Statement

Costco Wholesale Cash Flow Statement Analysis

Frequently Asked Questions About Costco Wholesale Cash Flow

Free Cash Flow (FCF)

FCF Per Share

Cash Flow to Debt

Dividend Payout Ratio

EBITDA

Return on Invested Capital (ROIC)

Costco Wholesale Cash Flow Statement Analysis

Frequently Asked Questions About Costco Wholesale Cash Flow

Metrics Derived from the Cash Flow Statement

Free Cash Flow (FCF)

FCF Per Share

Cash Flow to Debt

Dividend Payout Ratio

EBITDA

Return on Invested Capital (ROIC)