What is COST's DCF valuation?

Costco Wholesale Corp (COST) DCF Valuation Analysis

Executive Summary

As of June 2, 2025, Costco Wholesale Corp has a Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) derived fair value of $0.00 per share. With the current market price at $0.00, this represents a potential upside of 59.7%.

Key Metrics Value
DCF Fair Value (5-year) $0.00
DCF Fair Value (10-year) $0.00
Potential Upside (5-year) 27.1%
Potential Upside (10-year) 59.7%
Discount Rate (WACC) 5.8% - 7.7%

Financial Performance & Projections

Revenue Trends

Revenue is projected to grow from $254453 million in 09-2024 to $449163 million by 09-2034, representing a compound annual growth rate of approximately 5.8%.

Fiscal Year Revenue (USD millions) Growth
09-2024 254453 5%
09-2025 266748 5%
09-2026 280842 5%
09-2027 295957 5%
09-2028 320099 8%
09-2029 345581 8%
09-2030 354936 3%
09-2031 372683 5%
09-2032 380137 2%
09-2033 417117 10%
09-2034 449163 8%

Profitability Projections

Net profit margin is expected to improve from 3% in 09-2024 to 9% by 09-2034, driven by operational efficiency and economies of scale.

Fiscal Year Net Profit (USD millions) Profit Margin
09-2024 7367 3%
09-2025 11248 4%
09-2026 15480 6%
09-2027 20070 7%
09-2028 25690 8%
09-2029 31948 9%
09-2030 32813 9%
09-2031 34454 9%
09-2032 35143 9%
09-2033 38562 9%
09-2034 41524 9%

DCF Model Components

1. Capital Expenditures (CapEx)

with a 5-year average of $3864 million. Projected CapEx is expected to maintain at approximately 2% of revenue.

2. Depreciation & Amortization

Depreciation is based on an average useful life of 5 years for capital assets.

Fiscal Year D&A (USD millions)
09-2025 4248
09-2026 4527
09-2027 4798
09-2028 5069
09-2029 5352
09-2030 5665

3. Working Capital Requirements

Net working capital is expected to increase gradually, with projected changes affecting free cash flow.

Components Average Days
Days Receivables 4
Days Inventory 31
Days Payables 32

4. Free Cash Flow Projections

Fiscal Year EBITDA Tax CapEx Change in NWC FCF
7M/2025 10915 2114 2759 105 5937
2026 24565 4988 4980 (74) 14670
2027 30883 6468 5248 240 18927
2028 38546 8278 5676 194 24398
2029 47066 10295 6128 178 30465

DCF Valuation Parameters

Key Assumptions

  • Discount Rate (WACC): WACC / Discount Rate (selected: 5.8% - 7.7%)
  • Long-Term Growth Rate: Long-term Growth Rate (selected: 2.0% - 4.0%)
  • Terminal EV/EBITDA Multiple: 6.8x (based on peer average)

Valuation Summary

Valuation Method Fair Price (USD) Potential Upside
5-Year DCF (Growth) 0.00 27.1%
10-Year DCF (Growth) 0.00 59.7%
5-Year DCF (EBITDA) 634.75 +Inf%
10-Year DCF (EBITDA) 906.86 +Inf%

Enterprise Value Breakdown

  • 5-Year Model: $579,994M
  • 10-Year Model: $730,364M

Investment Conclusion

Is Costco Wholesale Corp (COST) a buy or a sell? Costco Wholesale Corp is definitely a buy. Based on our DCF analysis, Costco Wholesale Corp (COST) appears to be overvalued with upside potential of 59.7%. The company's strong projected growth in revenue and profitability, coupled with consistent capital expenditure, supports our positive outlook on its intrinsic value.

Key investment drivers include:

  • Expanding profit margins (from 3% to 9%)
  • Steady revenue growth (5.8% CAGR)
  • Strong free cash flow generation

Investors should consider reducing exposure at the current market price of $0.00.