Costco Declares $30 Special Dividend, Renews $4 Billion Buyback

Costco Wholesale (COST) declared a special cash dividend of $30 a share on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, the company said. The payout totals about $13.3 billion and will be paid on December 4 to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 24.

The warehouse club's board also reauthorized a stock buyback program of up to $4 billion that runs until November 2030.

The key numbers

Source: Costco press release and Form 8-K, November 10, 2026.

A bigger payout than last time

The new program replaces Costco's current $4 billion buyback plan, which was adopted in 2023 and was set to expire in January 2027. Costco had bought back $3.1 billion of stock under that plan.

Costco's last special dividend was $15 a share, or about $6.7 billion, announced in December 2023 and paid on January 12, 2024, according to the company's filing at the time. This year's payout is twice that amount per share. The company's release did not say how it will fund the payment.

Costco shares slipped 0.1% in premarket trading on Wednesday, CoinCentral reported.

What it means for shareholders

A special dividend is a one-time payment on top of a company's regular dividend. To get it, you need to be a shareholder of record by November 24; your broker can tell you the last day to buy. The payout is cash moving from the company's balance sheet to its owners, so the share price often adjusts lower when the stock starts trading without the dividend. Check how dividends are taxed in your type of account before you act. Our guide to dividend stocks explains how payouts work, and our market cap guide shows how to size up a company. For the broader market picture, see today's stock market.

This article is for information only and is not investment advice.