COST's fundamental profile currently indicates strong financial health, scoring 80/100 with a "Buy" rating. COST's Piotroski F-Score of 6/9 reflects a mixed picture across profitability and balance-sheet metrics. Its Altman Z-Score sits safely above the distress threshold at 10.49. COST's recent earnings trajectory is neutral, with no strong directional signal in margins or growth.
| F1 | Positive ROA | ✓ Pass |
| F3 | Improving ROA | ✓ Pass |
| F5 | Decreasing Leverage | ✓ Pass |
| F6 | Improving Liquidity | ✓ Pass |
| F7 | No Dilution | ✓ Pass |
| F8 | Improving Gross Margin | ✗ Fail |
| F9 | Improving Asset Turnover | ✓ Pass |
Piotroski F-Score is a 9-point scoring system developed by accounting professor Joseph Piotroski to assess the financial strength of a company. It evaluates profitability (ROA, operating cash flow, accruals), leverage and liquidity (debt ratio, current ratio, share dilution), and operating efficiency (gross margin, asset turnover). Scores of 7–9 indicate strong fundamentals, while 0–3 suggest weakness.
Altman Z-Score is a formula developed by professor Edward Altman that predicts the probability of a company entering bankruptcy within two years. It combines five financial ratios — working capital, retained earnings, EBIT, market capitalization, and revenue — all relative to total assets. A score above 2.99 suggests the company is financially safe, while below 1.81 indicates distress. The Z-Score is not applicable to financial-sector companies (banks, insurance).
Earnings Momentum tracks quarter-over-quarter trends in EPS growth, revenue, and profit margins to assess whether a company's financial trajectory is improving or deteriorating. Short Sentiment evaluates bearish market positioning using short interest as a percentage of float, days to cover, and short volume trends — a high score (inverted) indicates bullish sentiment.