Costco Declares $30 Special Dividend: Record Date, Payout & Buyback
Costco will pay shareholders $30 a share on December 4, a $13.3 billion special dividend, and renewed its $4 billion buyback through November 2030.
Image: Wikimedia Commons / Nesnad (CC BY 4.0)
ISSAQUAH, Wash. — Costco Wholesale Corporation said on Tuesday its board has declared a special cash dividend of $30 per share, payable December 4, 2026, to shareholders of record on November 24, 2026. The payment totals about $13.3 billion. The board also reauthorised a share repurchase programme of up to $4 billion, running to November 2030.
The payout is the largest special dividend in Costco's history and double the $15 per share paid in January 2024. It is the sixth special dividend since 2012, and it follows a fiscal year that ended with $20.2 billion in cash and equivalents.
- $30 per share, payable December 4, 2026, to shareholders of record on November 24; total payout about $13.3 billion.
- $4 billion buyback reauthorised through November 2030, replacing a 2023 programme under which $3.1 billion was used.
- Largest special dividend in Costco's history — double the $15 paid in January 2024 — and its sixth since 2012.
Who Gets the $30 Dividend and When Is It Paid?
Every shareholder on the register at the close of business on November 24 will receive $30 per common share, with the cash due on December 4. The payment sits on top of Costco's regular quarterly dividend, most recently $1.47 per share, declared on October 14, 2026.
Costco has not named an ex-dividend date. Under the Nasdaq timetable for a distribution worth less than a quarter of the share price, the ex-dividend date is expected to fall on the record date, November 24, making November 23 the last day to buy and qualify — a date Costco has not confirmed.
Costco's announcement says nothing about tax. The cash is due on December 4, 2026, so it would normally count as 2026 income, with brokers reporting dividends on Form 1099-DIV.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Amount per share | $30 |
| Total payout | About $13.3 billion |
| Record date | November 24, 2026 |
| Payment date | December 4, 2026 |
| Buyback authorised | Up to $4 billion, to November 2030 |
How the $30 Payout Compares With Past Dividends
Costco has paid five special dividends before: $7 per share in 2012, $5 in 2015, $7 in 2017, $10 in 2020 and $15 paid in January 2024. The 2012 payout cost about $3 billion and the January 2024 payout about $6.7 billion, so the new payout is roughly double the previous record in cash as well as per share.
The scale reflects the cash Costco has built up: cash and equivalents rose to $20.2 billion at the end of fiscal 2026, up from $14.2 billion a year earlier, while net income reached $9.2 billion. The $30 payment equals about 2.8% of Costco's November 10 closing share price of $1,066.14.
What Costco's $4 Billion Buyback Means
The renewed authorisation replaces the $4 billion programme adopted in 2023, due to expire in January 2027, under which Costco had repurchased $3.1 billion of shares, leaving about $900 million unused. The new authorisation runs to November 2030 and sets a ceiling on repurchases; it does not commit Costco to spend the full $4 billion or buy on a fixed schedule.
Mizuho and Bernstein both raised their price targets on Costco while keeping Outperform ratings, and Jefferies viewed the announcement favourably. Costco shares rose 1.32% to $1,080.24 by 11:45 a.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, November 11, as US stocks rallied. For income-focused investors, the one-off $30 payment arrives as savers weigh returns on government-backed savings products.
Frequently Asked Questions
When will Costco pay the $30 special dividend?
Costco will pay the $30 per share on December 4, 2026, to shareholders of record on November 24, 2026. The total payout is about $13.3 billion.
Do I need to own Costco stock before November 24?
Yes. Only shareholders on the register on November 24, 2026, will receive the payment. Costco has not named an ex-dividend date, but the market timetable points to November 24, so November 23 is the last day to buy and qualify.
Is this Costco's largest special dividend ever?
Yes. The $30 per share is double the previous record of $15, paid in January 2024, and the largest of the six special dividends Costco has declared since 2012.
Does the $30 payment replace the regular dividend?
No. The $30 is a one-off special dividend paid on top of the regular quarterly dividend, most recently $1.47 per share. The regular quarterly dividend is unchanged.
The next date for shareholders is November 24, when the register closes, with the $30 per share due on December 4.
