8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of Earliest Event Reported): July 21, 2013

COSTCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Washington	0-20355	91-1223280
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)	(Commission File No.)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

999 Lake Drive

Issaquah, WA 98027

(Address of principal executive offices and zip code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: 425-313-8100

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):

¨ Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

¨ Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

¨ Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 8.01. Other Events

The Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend on the Company’s common stock. The dividend of $.31 per share declared on July 21, 2013, is payable August 23, 2013, to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 9, 2013.

Item 9.01. Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d) Exhibits. The following exhibit is included in this report:

99.1. Press release dated July 21, 2013.

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, hereunto duly authorized, on July 23, 2013.

COSTCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION
By:	/s/ Richard A. Galanti
	Richard A. Galanti Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

2

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

News from

COSTCO WHOLESALE CORPORATION ANNOUNCES

QUARTERLY CASH DIVIDEND

ISSAQUAH, Wash., July 22, 2013 – Costco Wholesale Corporation (“Costco” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: COST) today announced that on July 21, 2013, its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend on Costco common stock of $.31 per share. The quarterly dividend is payable August 23, 2013, to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 9, 2013.

Costco currently operates 629 warehouses, including 450 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 85 in Canada, 33 in Mexico, 25 in the United Kingdom, 15 in Japan, nine in Taiwan, nine in Korea and three in Australia. The Company plans to open up to an additional five new warehouses prior to the end of its fiscal year on September 1, 2013. Costco also operates electronic commerce web sites, at www.costco.com (U.S.), www.costco.ca (Canada), and www.costco.co.uk (United Kingdom).

Certain statements contained in this document and the pre-recorded telephone message constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. For these purposes, forward-looking statements are statements that address activities, events, conditions or developments that the Company expects or anticipates may occur in the future. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual events, results or performance to differ materially from those indicated by such statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, domestic and international economic conditions, including exchange rates, the effects of competition and regulation, uncertainties in the financial markets, consumer and small business spending patterns and debt levels, conditions affecting the acquisition, development, ownership or use of real estate, amounts expected to be spent on expansion plans, actions of vendors, rising costs associated with employees (including health care costs), energy, and certain commodities, geopolitical conditions and other risks identified from time to time in the Company’s public statements and reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

CONTACTS:	Costco Wholesale Corporation
	Bob Nelson, 425/313-8255
	Jeff Elliott, 425/313-8264

Issaquah Home Office • 999 Lake Drive • Issaquah, WA 98027-5367 • (425) 313-8100