Common-Size Balance Sheet: Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Quarterly Data
Paying user area
Try for free
Costco Wholesale Corp. pages available for free this week:
The data is hidden behind: . Unhide it.
Get full access to the entire website from $10.42/mo, or
get 1-month access to Costco Wholesale Corp. for $24.99.
This is a one-time payment. There is no automatic renewal.
We accept:
Costco Wholesale Corp., common-size consolidated balance sheet: liabilities and stockholders’ equity (quarterly data)
Based on: 10-Q (reporting date: 2026-05-10), 10-Q (reporting date: 2026-02-15), 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-11-23), 10-K (reporting date: 2025-08-31), 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-05-11), 10-Q (reporting date: 2025-02-16), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-11-24), 10-K (reporting date: 2024-09-01), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-05-12), 10-Q (reporting date: 2024-02-18), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-11-26), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-09-03), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-05-07), 10-Q (reporting date: 2023-02-12), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-11-20), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-08-28), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-05-08), 10-Q (reporting date: 2022-02-13), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-11-21), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-08-29), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-05-09), 10-Q (reporting date: 2021-02-14), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-11-22), 10-K (reporting date: 2020-08-30), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-05-10), 10-Q (reporting date: 2020-02-16), 10-Q (reporting date: 2019-11-24).
The capitalization structure exhibits a progressive shift from a higher reliance on liabilities toward a strengthened equity base. Total liabilities declined from 68.45% in November 2019 to 61.23% by May 2026, while total equity increased from 31.55% to 38.77% over the same period. This trend indicates a gradual deleveraging of the balance sheet and an increase in the proportion of internally generated capital.
- Current Liability Trends
- Current liabilities consistently represent the largest portion of the funding structure, typically fluctuating between 44% and 54% of total liabilities and equity. Accounts payable serve as the primary driver within this category, ranging from a low of 20.90% to a high of 30.49%, reflecting a consistent reliance on trade credit to manage operational liquidity.
- Long-Term Debt and Solvency
- A significant reduction in long-term leverage is observed. Long-term debt, excluding the current portion, peaked at 14.69% in May 2020 and followed a sustained downward trajectory to reach 6.56% by May 2026. This contraction in long-term debt, coupled with the decline in long-term operating lease liabilities from 4.75% to 2.85%, suggests a strategic effort to reduce fixed financial obligations.
- Equity and Retained Earnings Growth
- The expansion of total equity is primarily attributed to the growth of retained earnings, which rose from 20.97% in November 2019 to 30.64% by May 2026. This growth signifies strong profit retention and an increasing capacity to fund assets through equity rather than external borrowing. Additional paid-in capital remained relatively stable, hovering between 10% and 13%.
- Operational Liability Stability
- Deferred membership fees have remained remarkably stable, generally oscillating between 3.3% and 3.8%, which underscores the consistency of the membership-based revenue model. Accrued member rewards showed a slight upward trend, increasing from 2.32% in 2019 to 3.41% by 2026, indicating a marginal increase in the liability associated with member loyalty programs relative to the total balance sheet.