Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) vs The Kroger Co. (KR)
COST and KR are evenly matched — 8 metrics each of 16.
A side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and The Kroger Co. 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
KR
The Kroger Co.
$64.71Consumer Defensive
Total return — COST vs KR
growth of $100 · last 30yCOST +9597.4%KR +1237.0%COST compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
COST KR
COST vs KR: by the numbers
- •COST is the larger company ($435.65B vs $39.90B market cap).
- •KR trades at the lower earnings multiple (42.02 vs 49.41 P/E).
- •COST converts more revenue to profit (3.01% vs 0.69% net margin).
- •COST grew revenue faster over the past five years (9.48% vs 2.19% CAGR).
- •KR pays the higher dividend yield (2.16% vs 0.55%).
Which is better, COST or KR?
Metric tally: COST 8 · KR 8It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValueKR(lower P/E)
GrowthCOST(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeKR(higher dividend yield)
QualityCOST(higher ROIC)
Valuation
| Metric | COST | KR |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 49.41 | 42.02● |
| Forward P/E | 43.40 | 11.53● |
| P/S ratio | 1.49 | 0.28● |
| P/B ratio | 13.03 | 6.89● |
| PEG ratio | 5.23 | — |
| EV / EBITDA | 29.43 | 10.80● |
| FCF yield | 2.02% | 8.64%● |
Profitability
| Metric | COST | KR |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 12.88% | 23.30%● |
| Operating margin | 3.82%● | 1.28% |
| Net margin | 3.01%● | 0.69% |
| ROE | 26.38%● | 17.14% |
| ROIC | 19.44%● | 4.70% |
Dividends
| Metric | COST | KR |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 0.55% | 2.16%● |
| Payout ratio | 29.44% | 89.74% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | COST | KR |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 9.48%● | 2.19% |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 15.04%● | -13.96% |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | 4.95%● | -2.23% |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 21.56%● | 13.20% |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, COST or KR?
- It depends on your goal. value: KR (lower P/E); growth: COST (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: KR (higher dividend yield); quality: COST (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, they are evenly matched.
- Is COST or KR cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, KR is cheaper: COST trades at a 49.41 P/E and KR at 42.02.
- Which has grown faster, COST or KR?
- Over the past five years, COST grew revenue faster — COST at a 9.48% CAGR versus KR at 2.19%.
- Does COST or KR pay a bigger dividend?
- COST yields 0.55% and KR yields 2.16% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is COST or KR more profitable?
- COST runs the higher net margin — COST at 3.01% versus KR at 0.69%.
- Which has been the better investment, COST or KR?
- Over the past 10-year, COST delivered the higher annualized total return — COST at 21.26% versus KR at 8.00%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Costco Wholesale P/E ratioKroger P/E ratioCostco Wholesale dividend yieldKroger dividend yieldCostco Wholesale ROEKroger ROECostco Wholesale operating marginKroger operating marginCostco Wholesale revenue growthKroger revenue growthCostco Wholesale free cash flowKroger free cash flow
Costco Wholesale & Kroger 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.