Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) vs The Home Depot, Inc. (HD)
HD leads on 9 of 17 compared metrics.
A side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and The Home Depot, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 13, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).
COST
Costco Wholesale Corporation
$982.35Consumer Defensive
HD
The Home Depot, Inc.
$328.39Consumer Cyclical
Total return — COST vs HD
growth of $100 · last 30yCOST +9597.4%HD +2605.0%COST compounded faster
COST HD
COST vs HD: by the numbers
- •COST is the larger company ($435.65B vs $327.44B market cap).
- •HD trades at the lower earnings multiple (23.32 vs 49.41 P/E).
- •HD converts more revenue to profit (8.41% vs 3.01% net margin).
- •COST grew revenue faster over the past five years (9.48% vs 3.34% CAGR).
- •HD pays the higher dividend yield (2.82% vs 0.55%).
Which is better, COST or HD?
Metric tally: COST 8 · HD 9It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValueHD(lower P/E)
GrowthCOST(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeHD(higher dividend yield)
QualityCOST(higher ROIC)
Valuation
| Metric | COST | HD |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 49.41 | 23.32● |
| Forward P/E | 43.40 | 20.41● |
| P/S ratio | 1.49● | 1.96 |
| P/B ratio | 13.03● | 23.57 |
| PEG ratio | 5.23● | 6.55 |
| EV / EBITDA | 29.43 | 16.58● |
| FCF yield | 2.02% | 4.38%● |
Profitability
| Metric | COST | HD |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 12.88% | 33.13%● |
| Operating margin | 3.82% | 12.45%● |
| Net margin | 3.01% | 8.41%● |
| ROE | 26.38% | 100.99%● |
| ROIC | 19.44%● | 19.03% |
Dividends
| Metric | COST | HD |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 0.55% | 2.82%● |
| Payout ratio | 29.44% | 64.89% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | COST | HD |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 9.48%● | 3.34% |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 15.04%● | 3.56% |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | 4.95%● | -3.39% |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 21.56%● | 3.66% |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, COST or HD?
- It depends on your goal. value: HD (lower P/E); growth: COST (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: HD (higher dividend yield); quality: COST (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, HD leads 9 to 8.
- Is COST or HD cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, HD is cheaper: COST trades at a 49.41 P/E and HD at 23.32.
- Which has grown faster, COST or HD?
- Over the past five years, COST grew revenue faster — COST at a 9.48% CAGR versus HD at 3.34%.
- Does COST or HD pay a bigger dividend?
- COST yields 0.55% and HD yields 2.82% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is COST or HD more profitable?
- HD runs the higher net margin — COST at 3.01% versus HD at 8.41%.
- Which has been the better investment, COST or HD?
- Over the past 10-year, COST delivered the higher annualized total return — COST at 21.26% versus HD at 12.49%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Costco Wholesale P/E ratioHome Depot P/E ratioCostco Wholesale dividend yieldHome Depot dividend yieldCostco Wholesale ROEHome Depot ROECostco Wholesale operating marginHome Depot operating marginCostco Wholesale revenue growthHome Depot revenue growthCostco Wholesale free cash flowHome Depot free cash flow
Costco Wholesale & Home Depot 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 13, 2026.