Costco stock: $30 special dividend and a $4 billion buyback
Costco stock is in the spotlight: the board declared a one-time $30 per share dividend, about $13.3 billion in total, and a new $4 billion share buyback.
Event: November 10, 2026
Primary source: November 10, 2026
Published here: November 12, 2026 at 06:10 PM UTC
Read: 2 min
What happened
On 10 November Costco's board declared a special cash dividend of $30 per share. Holders of record at the close of business on 24 November get it. It is payable on 4 December, about $13.3 billion in total. The company also reauthorized its stock buyback: up to $4 billion, running until November 2030.
Why it matters to you
This is a one-off payment, not a new regular dividend. A buyback means the company buys its own shares on the market.
What to check and watch
The release does not give the ex-dividend date. Check it with your broker. Tax on the payout depends on your country.
Where it’s happening
LIVEDrag to spin. Green dots: the exchange is trading right now (regular hours, holidays not counted). Shadow: where it is night now. Borders: Natural Earth, quakes: USGS. Layer idea: God’s Eye View (MIT).
What was announced. On 10 November 2026 the board of Costco Wholesale Corporation declared a special cash dividend of $30 on each share of common stock. It is payable on 4 December 2026 to holders of record at the close of business on 24 November 2026. The total payment will be approximately $13.3 billion.
What about the buyback. The company also reauthorized its stock repurchase program. It can now spend up to $4 billion, and the program runs until November 2030. The new program replaces the previous one: also $4 billion, adopted in 2023 and set to expire in January 2027. Under that one, $3.1 billion of stock had been bought.
What this is not. It is not a rise in the regular quarterly dividend. A special dividend is paid once. The release promises no repeat.
The company's scale. According to the release, Costco runs 945 warehouses: 653 in the US and Puerto Rico, 115 in Canada, 43 in Mexico, 37 in Japan, 29 in the UK and others in more countries. The stock trades on Nasdaq under the ticker COST.
What the release leaves out. It gives no ex-dividend date, the cutoff after which buying the stock no longer earns the payout. Ask your broker. It also does not explain why the company picked $30. This article is not investment advice.
Confirmed facts
- On 10 November 2026 Costco's board declared a special cash dividend of $30 per share of common stock.[1]
- The dividend is payable on 4 December 2026 to holders of record at the close of business on 24 November 2026.[1]
- The total payment will be approximately $13.3 billion.[1]
- Costco reauthorized a stock repurchase program of up to $4 billion, running until November 2030.[1][2]
- The previous $4 billion buyback program, adopted in 2023, runs until January 2027, with $3.1 billion of stock bought under it.[1]
- Costco operates 945 warehouses, including 653 in the US and Puerto Rico and 115 in Canada. The stock trades on Nasdaq under COST.[1]
Implications
- ConfirmedThe payout is one-off and does not change the regular dividend.
- ConfirmedThe new buyback program replaces the previous one at the same $4 billion size.
- Our readingThe share price around the payout can move either way, and nobody can predict it. This is our inference.
Still unknown
- The ex-dividend date, which the release does not give.
- How the payout will affect the share price and the company's balance sheet.
- Whether similar payouts will follow.
Who it affects
United States, Global. People holding Costco shares, following US dividends or watching retail
Sources
Cover: Freekonomist graphic, a symbolic image, not a photo of the event. This is a news explainer, not financial advice.
More stories
DTCC will bring tokenized US stocks and bonds to Solana in 2027
DTCC, the core post-trade infrastructure of US markets, will connect its tokenization service to the Solana blockchain. Expect it in the second half of 2027.
Türkiye lifts its inflation forecast to 29.5% and loosens 2027 targets
Türkiye's central bank now expects 29.5% inflation at year end and raised its interim targets: 21% for 2027 instead of 15% and 13.5% for 2028 instead of 9%. The main reason is costly energy.
Colette Kress named Nvidia interim CEO as Jensen Huang resigns
Colette Kress, Nvidia's finance chief, is now interim CEO after Jensen Huang resigned on 12 November; the board is searching for a permanent CEO, and Nvidia shares fell sharply in US trading.
Morning brief by email
The night's key moves and what matters today, in 2 minutes. One-click unsubscribe.
BloFin
3M
7M
40M
60M
80M
250M