Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) vs The Coca-Cola Company (KO)
KO leads on 11 of 16 compared metrics.
A side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and The Coca-Cola Company 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
KO
The Coca-Cola Company
$82.62Consumer Defensive
Total return — COST vs KO
growth of $100 · last 30yCOST +9597.4%KO +256.3%COST compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
COST KO
COST vs KO: by the numbers
- •COST is the larger company ($435.65B vs $355.47B market cap).
- •KO trades at the lower earnings multiple (25.98 vs 49.41 P/E).
- •KO converts more revenue to profit (27.80% vs 3.01% net margin).
- •COST grew revenue faster over the past five years (9.48% vs 8.07% CAGR).
- •KO pays the higher dividend yield (1.88% vs 0.55%).
Which is better, COST or KO?
Metric tally: COST 5 · KO 11It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValueKO(lower P/E)
GrowthCOST(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeKO(higher dividend yield)
QualityCOST(higher ROIC)
Valuation
| Metric | COST | KO |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 49.41 | 25.98● |
| Forward P/E | 43.40 | 23.70● |
| P/S ratio | 1.49● | 7.23 |
| P/B ratio | 13.03 | 10.60● |
| PEG ratio | 5.23 | 0.98● |
| EV / EBITDA | 29.43 | 20.26● |
| FCF yield | 2.02% | 3.52%● |
Profitability
| Metric | COST | KO |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 12.88% | 61.74%● |
| Operating margin | 3.82% | 29.34%● |
| Net margin | 3.01% | 27.80%● |
| ROE | 26.38% | 40.74%● |
| ROIC | 19.44%● | 13.00% |
Dividends
| Metric | COST | KO |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 0.55% | 1.88%● |
| Payout ratio | 29.44% | 50.82% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | COST | KO |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 9.48%● | 8.07% |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 15.04%● | 11.12% |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | 4.95% | 4.97% |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 21.56%● | 11.29% |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, COST or KO?
- It depends on your goal. value: KO (lower P/E); growth: COST (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: KO (higher dividend yield); quality: COST (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, KO leads 11 to 5.
- Is COST or KO cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, KO is cheaper: COST trades at a 49.41 P/E and KO at 25.98.
- Which has grown faster, COST or KO?
- Over the past five years, COST grew revenue faster — COST at a 9.48% CAGR versus KO at 8.07%.
- Does COST or KO pay a bigger dividend?
- COST yields 0.55% and KO yields 1.88% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is COST or KO more profitable?
- KO runs the higher net margin — COST at 3.01% versus KO at 27.80%.
- Which has been the better investment, COST or KO?
- Over the past 10-year, COST delivered the higher annualized total return — COST at 21.26% versus KO at 9.41%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Costco Wholesale P/E ratioCoca-Cola P/E ratioCostco Wholesale dividend yieldCoca-Cola dividend yieldCostco Wholesale ROECoca-Cola ROECostco Wholesale operating marginCoca-Cola operating marginCostco Wholesale revenue growthCoca-Cola revenue growthCostco Wholesale free cash flowCoca-Cola free cash flow
Costco Wholesale & Coca-Cola 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 13, 2026.