Which has grown faster, AI or COST?

Over the past five years, COST grew revenue faster — AI at a 6.44% CAGR versus COST at 9.48%.

Does AI or COST pay a bigger dividend?

COST pays a dividend (0.55% yield) while AI does not currently pay one.

Is AI or COST more profitable?

COST runs the higher net margin — AI at -187.95% versus COST at 3.01%.

Which has been the better investment, AI or COST?

Over the past 5-year, COST delivered the higher annualized total return — AI at -28.06% versus COST at 21.24%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

C3.ai, Inc. (AI) vs Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST)

COST leads on 7 of 9 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of C3.ai, Inc. and Costco Wholesale Corporation across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 15, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).

Costco Wholesale Corporation

$434.37B

$979.45Consumer Defensive

Total return — AI vs COST

growth of $100 · last 6y

AI -88.1%COST +159.4%COST compounded faster

Log scale — wide-divergence pair

AI COST

AI vs COST: by the numbers

•COST is the larger company ($434.37B vs $1.56B market cap).
•COST is profitable (3.01% net margin) while AI runs a net loss (-187.95%).
•COST grew revenue faster over the past five years (9.48% vs 6.44% CAGR).
•COST pays a dividend (0.55% yield) while AI does not currently pay one.

Which is better, AI or COST?

Metric tally: AI 2 · COST 7

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

GrowthCOST(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)

QualityCOST(higher ROIC)

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	AI	COST
P/E ratio	—	49.27
Forward P/E	—	43.27
P/S ratio	6.44	1.48●
P/B ratio	2.47●	12.99
PEG ratio	—	5.23
EV / EBITDA	—	29.34
FCF yield	—	2.02%

Profitability

Metric	AI	COST
Gross margin	30.92%●	12.88%
Operating margin	-194.86%	3.82%●
Net margin	-187.95%	3.01%●
ROE	-71.95%	26.38%●
ROIC	-68.71%	19.44%●

Dividends

Metric	AI	COST
Dividend yield	—	0.55%
Payout ratio	—	29.44%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	AI	COST
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	6.44%	9.48%●
EPS CAGR (5Y)	—	15.04%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	—	4.95%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	-28.06%	21.36%●

Frequently asked

Which is better, AI or COST?: It depends on your goal. growth: COST (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); quality: COST (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, COST leads 7 to 2.
Which has grown faster, AI or COST?: Over the past five years, COST grew revenue faster — AI at a 6.44% CAGR versus COST at 9.48%.
Does AI or COST pay a bigger dividend?: COST pays a dividend (0.55% yield) while AI does not currently pay one.
Is AI or COST more profitable?: COST runs the higher net margin — AI at -187.95% versus COST at 3.01%.
Which has been the better investment, AI or COST?: Over the past 5-year, COST delivered the higher annualized total return — AI at -28.06% versus COST at 21.24%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full AI analysis Full COST analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

C3.ai P/E ratio Costco Wholesale P/E ratio C3.ai dividend yield Costco Wholesale dividend yield C3.ai ROE Costco Wholesale ROE C3.ai operating margin Costco Wholesale operating margin C3.ai revenue growth Costco Wholesale revenue growth C3.ai free cash flow Costco Wholesale free cash flow

C3.ai & Costco Wholesale appear in these rankings

Highest ROE Stocks Highest ROIC Stocks Best 10-Year Total Return Stocks Largest Companies by Market Cap

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified June 15, 2026.