Costco stock: $30 special dividend and a $4 billion buyback

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.

Hechos confirmados

• 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]

Implicaciones

• ConfirmadoThe payout is one-off and does not change the regular dividend.
• ConfirmadoThe new buyback program replaces the previous one at the same $4 billion size.
• Nuestra lecturaThe share price around the payout can move either way, and nobody can predict it. This is our inference.

Todavía no se sabe

• 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.

A quién afecta

United States, Global. People holding Costco shares, following US dividends or watching retail

Fuentes

1. Costco Wholesale Corporation: Costco Wholesale Corporation Declares $30 Special Cash Dividend and Reauthorizes Stock Repurchase Program 10 de noviembre de 2026 · oficial
2. Yahoo Finance: Costco (COST) Declares $30 Special Dividend And Reauthorizes $4 Billion Buyback 11 de noviembre de 2026 · medios