Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) vs Meta Platforms, Inc. (META)

META leads on 13 of 17 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and Meta Platforms, 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).

Total return — COST vs META

growth of $100 · last 14y
COST +1084.4%META +1383.1%META compounded faster
05001k2k2kStart $1002015201820212024$1,184$1,483
COST META

COST vs META: by the numbers

  • META is the larger company ($1.44T vs $435.65B market cap).
  • META trades at the lower earnings multiple (20.62 vs 49.41 P/E).
  • META converts more revenue to profit (32.84% vs 3.01% net margin).
  • META grew revenue faster over the past five years (17.89% vs 9.48% CAGR).
  • COST pays the higher dividend yield (0.55% vs 0.37%).

Which is better, COST or META?

Metric tally: COST 4 · META 13

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueMETA(lower P/E)
GrowthMETA(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeCOST(higher dividend yield)
QualityCOST(higher ROIC)

Valuation

MetricCOSTMETA
P/E ratio49.4120.62
Forward P/E43.4016.20
P/S ratio1.496.76
P/B ratio13.035.97
PEG ratio5.231.11
EV / EBITDA29.4313.37
FCF yield2.02%3.32%

Profitability

MetricCOSTMETA
Gross margin12.88%81.94%
Operating margin3.82%41.21%
Net margin3.01%32.84%
ROE26.38%28.97%
ROIC19.44%17.95%

Dividends

MetricCOSTMETA
Dividend yield0.55%0.37%
Payout ratio29.44%8.76%

Growth (annualized)

MetricCOSTMETA
Revenue CAGR (5Y)9.48%17.89%
EPS CAGR (5Y)15.04%18.60%
FCF CAGR (5Y)4.95%14.84%
Total return CAGR (5Y)21.56%11.51%

Frequently asked

Which is better, COST or META?
It depends on your goal. value: META (lower P/E); growth: META (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: COST (higher dividend yield); quality: COST (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, META leads 13 to 4.
Is COST or META cheaper?
On trailing earnings, META is cheaper: COST trades at a 49.41 P/E and META at 20.62.
Which has grown faster, COST or META?
Over the past five years, META grew revenue faster — COST at a 9.48% CAGR versus META at 17.89%.
Does COST or META pay a bigger dividend?
COST yields 0.55% and META yields 0.37% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is COST or META more profitable?
META runs the higher net margin — COST at 3.01% versus META at 32.84%.
Which has been the better investment, COST or META?
Over the past 10-year, COST delivered the higher annualized total return — COST at 21.26% versus META at 17.22%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

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.