Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) vs Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL)
GOOGL leads on 13 of 16 compared metrics.
A side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and Alphabet Inc. 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
GOOGL
Alphabet Inc.
$359.68Communication Services
Total return — COST vs GOOGL
growth of $100 · last 22yCOST +2219.6%GOOGL +14229.9%GOOGL compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
COST GOOGL
COST vs GOOGL: by the numbers
- •GOOGL is the larger company ($4.35T vs $435.65B market cap).
- •GOOGL trades at the lower earnings multiple (27.44 vs 49.41 P/E).
- •GOOGL converts more revenue to profit (37.91% vs 3.01% net margin).
- •GOOGL grew revenue faster over the past five years (16.53% vs 9.48% CAGR).
- •COST pays the higher dividend yield (0.55% vs 0.24%).
Which is better, COST or GOOGL?
Metric tally: COST 3 · GOOGL 13It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValueGOOGL(lower P/E)
GrowthGOOGL(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeCOST(higher dividend yield)
QualityGOOGL(higher ROIC)
Valuation
| Metric | COST | GOOGL |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 49.41 | 27.44● |
| Forward P/E | 43.40 | 24.41● |
| P/S ratio | 1.49● | 10.42 |
| P/B ratio | 13.03 | 9.19● |
| PEG ratio | 5.23 | 0.84● |
| EV / EBITDA | 29.43 | 20.36● |
| FCF yield | 2.02%● | 1.46% |
Profitability
| Metric | COST | GOOGL |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 12.88% | 60.37%● |
| Operating margin | 3.82% | 32.70%● |
| Net margin | 3.01% | 37.91%● |
| ROE | 26.38% | 33.46%● |
| ROIC | 19.44% | 21.82%● |
Dividends
| Metric | COST | GOOGL |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 0.55%● | 0.24% |
| Payout ratio | 29.44% | 7.79% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | COST | GOOGL |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 9.48% | 16.53%● |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 15.04% | 29.81%● |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | 4.95% | 4.89% |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 21.56% | 24.45%● |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, COST or GOOGL?
- It depends on your goal. value: GOOGL (lower P/E); growth: GOOGL (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: COST (higher dividend yield); quality: GOOGL (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, GOOGL leads 13 to 3.
- Is COST or GOOGL cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, GOOGL is cheaper: COST trades at a 49.41 P/E and GOOGL at 27.44.
- Which has grown faster, COST or GOOGL?
- Over the past five years, GOOGL grew revenue faster — COST at a 9.48% CAGR versus GOOGL at 16.53%.
- Does COST or GOOGL pay a bigger dividend?
- COST yields 0.55% and GOOGL yields 0.24% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is COST or GOOGL more profitable?
- GOOGL runs the higher net margin — COST at 3.01% versus GOOGL at 37.91%.
- Which has been the better investment, COST or GOOGL?
- Over the past 10-year, GOOGL delivered the higher annualized total return — COST at 21.26% versus GOOGL at 25.75%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Costco Wholesale P/E ratioAlphabet P/E ratioCostco Wholesale dividend yieldAlphabet dividend yieldCostco Wholesale ROEAlphabet ROECostco Wholesale operating marginAlphabet operating marginCostco Wholesale revenue growthAlphabet revenue growthCostco Wholesale free cash flowAlphabet free cash flow
Costco Wholesale & Alphabet appear in these rankings
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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.