Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) vs Monster Beverage Corporation (MNST)

MNST leads on 11 of 16 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and Monster Beverage 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).

Costco Wholesale Corporation logo
COST
Costco Wholesale Corporation
$435.65B
$982.35Consumer Defensive
Monster Beverage Corporation logo
MNST
Monster Beverage Corporation
$90.79B
$92.83Consumer Defensive

Total return — COST vs MNST

growth of $100 · last 30y
COST +9597.4%MNST +509143.5%MNST compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
101001k10k100k1MStart $100200120062011201620212026$9,697$509,244
COST MNST

COST vs MNST: by the numbers

  • •COST is the larger company ($435.65B vs $90.79B market cap).
  • •MNST trades at the lower earnings multiple (44.85 vs 49.41 P/E).
  • •MNST converts more revenue to profit (23.11% vs 3.01% net margin).
  • •MNST grew revenue faster over the past five years (12.96% vs 9.48% CAGR).
  • •COST pays a dividend (0.55% yield) while MNST does not currently pay one.

Which is better, COST or MNST?

Metric tally: COST 5 · MNST 11

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueMNST(lower P/E)
GrowthMNST(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
QualityMNST(higher ROIC)

Valuation

MetricCOSTMNST
P/E ratio49.4144.85●
Forward P/E43.4035.95●
P/S ratio1.49●10.43
P/B ratio13.0310.51●
PEG ratio5.231.31●
EV / EBITDA29.43●32.31
FCF yield2.02%2.26%●

Profitability

MetricCOSTMNST
Gross margin12.88%55.47%●
Operating margin3.82%29.34%●
Net margin3.01%23.11%●
ROE26.38%●23.28%
ROIC19.44%21.74%●

Dividends

MetricCOSTMNST
Dividend yield0.55%—
Payout ratio29.44%—

Growth (annualized)

MetricCOSTMNST
Revenue CAGR (5Y)9.48%12.96%●
EPS CAGR (5Y)15.04%●7.95%
FCF CAGR (5Y)4.95%10.53%●
Total return CAGR (5Y)21.56%●14.70%

Frequently asked

Which is better, COST or MNST?
It depends on your goal. value: MNST (lower P/E); growth: MNST (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); quality: MNST (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, MNST leads 11 to 5.
Is COST or MNST cheaper?
On trailing earnings, MNST is cheaper: COST trades at a 49.41 P/E and MNST at 44.85.
Which has grown faster, COST or MNST?
Over the past five years, MNST grew revenue faster — COST at a 9.48% CAGR versus MNST at 12.96%.
Does COST or MNST pay a bigger dividend?
COST pays a dividend (0.55% yield) while MNST does not currently pay one.
Is COST or MNST more profitable?
MNST runs the higher net margin — COST at 3.01% versus MNST at 23.11%.
Which has been the better investment, COST or MNST?
Over the past 10-year, COST delivered the higher annualized total return — COST at 21.26% versus MNST at 13.75%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full COST analysisFull MNST analysisInteractive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Costco Wholesale P/E ratioMonster Beverage P/E ratioCostco Wholesale dividend yieldMonster Beverage dividend yieldCostco Wholesale ROEMonster Beverage ROECostco Wholesale operating marginMonster Beverage operating marginCostco Wholesale revenue growthMonster Beverage revenue growthCostco Wholesale free cash flowMonster Beverage free cash flow

Costco Wholesale & Monster Beverage appear in these rankings

Highest ROE StocksHighest ROIC StocksBest 10-Year Total Return StocksLargest Companies by Market Cap

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.