Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) vs General Motors Company (GM)
COST leads on 8 of 15 compared metrics, though GM is the cheaper stock.
A side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and General Motors Company across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 14, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).
COST
Costco Wholesale Corporation
$982.35Consumer Defensive
GM
General Motors Company
$81.50Consumer Cyclical
Total return — COST vs GM
growth of $100 · last 16yCOST +1375.9%GM +137.9%COST compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
COST GM
COST vs GM: by the numbers
- •COST is the larger company ($435.65B vs $73.49B market cap).
- •GM trades at the lower earnings multiple (32.60 vs 49.41 P/E).
- •COST converts more revenue to profit (3.01% vs 1.38% net margin).
- •COST grew revenue faster over the past five years (9.48% vs 8.60% CAGR).
- •GM pays the higher dividend yield (0.81% vs 0.55%).
Which is better, COST or GM?
Metric tally: COST 8 · GM 7It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValueGM(lower P/E)
GrowthCOST(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeGM(higher dividend yield)
QualityCOST(higher ROIC)
Valuation
| Metric | COST | GM |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 49.41 | 32.60● |
| Forward P/E | 43.40 | — |
| P/S ratio | 1.49 | 0.41● |
| P/B ratio | 13.03 | 1.20● |
| PEG ratio | 5.23 | — |
| EV / EBITDA | 29.43 | 11.84● |
| FCF yield | 2.02% | 16.67%● |
Profitability
| Metric | COST | GM |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 12.88%● | 6.10% |
| Operating margin | 3.82%● | 1.34% |
| Net margin | 3.01%● | 1.38% |
| ROE | 26.38%● | 4.05% |
| ROIC | 19.44%● | 1.16% |
Dividends
| Metric | COST | GM |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 0.55% | 0.81%● |
| Payout ratio | 29.44% | 19.82% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | COST | GM |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 9.48%● | 8.60% |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 15.04%● | -5.25% |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | 4.95% | 14.14%● |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 21.56%● | 6.65% |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, COST or GM?
- It depends on your goal. value: GM (lower P/E); growth: COST (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: GM (higher dividend yield); quality: COST (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, COST leads 8 to 7.
- Is COST or GM cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, GM is cheaper: COST trades at a 49.41 P/E and GM at 32.60.
- Which has grown faster, COST or GM?
- Over the past five years, COST grew revenue faster — COST at a 9.48% CAGR versus GM at 8.60%.
- Does COST or GM pay a bigger dividend?
- COST yields 0.55% and GM yields 0.81% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is COST or GM more profitable?
- COST runs the higher net margin — COST at 3.01% versus GM at 1.38%.
- Which has been the better investment, COST or GM?
- Over the past 10-year, COST delivered the higher annualized total return — COST at 21.26% versus GM at 13.06%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Costco Wholesale P/E ratioGeneral Motors P/E ratioCostco Wholesale dividend yieldGeneral Motors dividend yieldCostco Wholesale ROEGeneral Motors ROECostco Wholesale operating marginGeneral Motors operating marginCostco Wholesale revenue growthGeneral Motors revenue growthCostco Wholesale free cash flowGeneral Motors free cash flow
Costco Wholesale & General Motors appear in these rankings
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 14, 2026.