Stock Analysis on Net
Stock Analysis on Net

Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ:COST)

Balance Sheet: Assets

The balance sheet provides creditors, investors, and analysts with information on company resources (assets) and its sources of capital (its equity and liabilities). It normally also provides information about the future earnings capacity of a company assets as well as an indication of cash flows that may come from receivables and inventories.

Assets are resources controlled by the company as a result of past events and from which future economic benefits are expected to flow to the entity.

Assets: Selected Items

Current Assets: Selected Items

Costco Wholesale Corp., consolidated balance sheet: assets

US$ in millions

Microsoft Excel
Aug 30, 2026 Aug 31, 2025 Sep 1, 2024 Sep 3, 2023 Aug 28, 2022 Aug 29, 2021
Cash and cash equivalents 20,207 14,161 9,906 13,700 10,203 11,258
Short-term investments 1,094 1,123 1,238 1,534 846 917
Receivables, net 3,959 3,203 2,721 2,285 2,241 1,803
Merchandise inventories 19,324 18,116 18,647 16,651 17,907 14,215
Other current assets 1,998 1,777 1,734 1,709 1,499 1,312
Current assets 46,582 38,380 34,246 35,879 32,696 29,505
Property and equipment, net 35,633 31,909 29,032 26,684 24,646 23,492
Finance lease assets 1,413 1,488 1,433 1,325 1,620 1,000
Property and equipment, net, including finance lease assets 37,046 33,397 30,465 28,009 26,266 24,492
Operating lease right-of-use assets 2,697 2,725 2,617 2,713 2,774 2,890
Other long-term assets 2,720 2,597 2,503 2,393 2,430 2,381
Long-term assets 42,463 38,719 35,585 33,115 31,470 29,763
Total assets 89,045 77,099 69,831 68,994 64,166 59,268

Based on: 10-K (reporting date: 2026-08-30), 10-K (reporting date: 2025-08-31), 10-K (reporting date: 2024-09-01), 10-K (reporting date: 2023-09-03), 10-K (reporting date: 2022-08-28), 10-K (reporting date: 2021-08-29).


Total assets exhibit a consistent upward trajectory, growing from 59,268 million US dollars in 2021 to 89,045 million US dollars by 2026. This represents a significant expansion of the balance sheet, driven by simultaneous growth in both current and non-current asset categories.

Current Asset Trends
Current assets increased from 29,505 million US dollars in 2021 to 46,582 million US dollars in 2026. A primary driver of this growth is the substantial increase in cash and cash equivalents, which reached 20,207 million US dollars in 2026 after a period of volatility between 2021 and 2024.
Merchandise inventories show a general upward trend, rising from 14,215 million US dollars in 2021 to 19,324 million US dollars in 2026, despite minor fluctuations in 2023 and 2025. This suggests an increase in stock levels to support operational growth.
Net receivables demonstrate steady and uninterrupted growth, more than doubling from 1,803 million US dollars in 2021 to 3,959 million US dollars in 2026.
Long-term Asset Trends
Long-term assets grew from 29,763 million US dollars in 2021 to 42,463 million US dollars in 2026. The dominant component of this growth is net property and equipment, which rose consistently each year from 23,492 million US dollars to 35,633 million US dollars, indicating sustained capital investment in physical infrastructure.
Operating lease right-of-use assets remained relatively stable, experiencing a slight overall decline from 2,890 million US dollars in 2021 to 2,697 million US dollars in 2026.
Finance lease assets peaked in 2022 at 1,620 million US dollars before stabilizing around 1,413 million US dollars by 2026.

The overall asset composition indicates a balanced growth strategy, where the expansion of fixed assets for capacity is matched by an increase in liquidity and working capital. The sharp rise in cash positions toward the end of the period suggests a strengthened liquidity profile.

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