Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) vs Kimberly-Clark Corporation (KMB)
KMB leads on 9 of 16 compared metrics.
A side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and Kimberly-Clark Corporation 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
KMB
Kimberly-Clark Corporation
$102.29Consumer Defensive
Not enough overlapping price history to compare COST and KMB.
COST vs KMB: by the numbers
- •COST is the larger company ($435.65B vs $33.95B market cap).
- •KMB trades at the lower earnings multiple (16.06 vs 49.41 P/E).
- •KMB converts more revenue to profit (12.81% vs 3.01% net margin).
- •COST grew revenue faster over the past five years (9.48% vs -2.61% CAGR).
- •KMB pays the higher dividend yield (4.97% vs 0.55%).
Which is better, COST or KMB?
Metric tally: COST 7 · KMB 9It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValueKMB(lower P/E)
GrowthCOST(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeKMB(higher dividend yield)
QualityCOST(higher ROIC)
Valuation
| Metric | COST | KMB |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 49.41 | 16.06● |
| Forward P/E | 43.40 | 13.49● |
| P/S ratio | 1.49● | 2.06 |
| P/B ratio | 13.03● | 18.98 |
| PEG ratio | 5.23 | — |
| EV / EBITDA | 29.43 | 13.26● |
| FCF yield | 2.02% | 7.56%● |
Profitability
| Metric | COST | KMB |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 12.88% | 35.86%● |
| Operating margin | 3.82% | 13.27%● |
| Net margin | 3.01% | 12.81%● |
| ROE | 26.38% | 117.98%● |
| ROIC | 19.44%● | 17.62% |
Dividends
| Metric | COST | KMB |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 0.55% | 4.97%● |
| Payout ratio | 29.44% | 83.55% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | COST | KMB |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 9.48%● | -2.61% |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 15.04%● | -2.50% |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | 4.95%● | 3.38% |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 21.56%● | -0.94% |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, COST or KMB?
- It depends on your goal. value: KMB (lower P/E); growth: COST (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: KMB (higher dividend yield); quality: COST (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, KMB leads 9 to 7.
- Is COST or KMB cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, KMB is cheaper: COST trades at a 49.41 P/E and KMB at 16.06.
- Which has grown faster, COST or KMB?
- Over the past five years, COST grew revenue faster — COST at a 9.48% CAGR versus KMB at -2.61%.
- Does COST or KMB pay a bigger dividend?
- COST yields 0.55% and KMB yields 4.97% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is COST or KMB more profitable?
- KMB runs the higher net margin — COST at 3.01% versus KMB at 12.81%.
- Which has been the better investment, COST or KMB?
- Over the past 10-year, COST delivered the higher annualized total return — COST at 21.26% versus KMB at 1.05%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Costco Wholesale P/E ratioKimberly-Clark P/E ratioCostco Wholesale dividend yieldKimberly-Clark dividend yieldCostco Wholesale ROEKimberly-Clark ROECostco Wholesale operating marginKimberly-Clark operating marginCostco Wholesale revenue growthKimberly-Clark revenue growthCostco Wholesale free cash flowKimberly-Clark free cash flow
Costco Wholesale & Kimberly-Clark 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.