Costco Declares $30-a-Share Special Dividend, Renews $4 Billion Buyback Plan

Costco has declared a special cash dividend of $30 a share, a one-time payment totaling approximately $13.3 billion, the company announced Tuesday.

The dividend is payable December 4, 2026, to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 24. It is a payment to holders of Costco common stock, not a rebate for shoppers or a benefit attached to a Costco membership.

Costco also renewed its authorization to repurchase up to $4 billion of its common stock. The program will run through November 2030 and replaces an earlier $4 billion authorization adopted in 2023, which had been scheduled to expire in January 2027.

The company said it had bought back $3.1 billion of stock under the previous program. The new authorization allows future purchases up to the stated limit; it does not mean Costco has already bought another $4 billion of shares.

Costco operates 945 warehouses worldwide, including 653 in the United States and Puerto Rico, according to its announcement. The special dividend and renewed buyback plan are separate ways of returning money to shareholders.