Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) vs Altria Group, Inc. (MO)
MO leads on 10 of 16 compared metrics.
A side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and Altria Group, 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).
COST
Costco Wholesale Corporation
$982.35Consumer Defensive
MO
Altria Group, Inc.
$71.94Consumer Defensive
Total return — COST vs MO
growth of $100 · last 30yCOST +9597.4%MO +104.8%COST compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
COST MO
COST vs MO: by the numbers
- •COST is the larger company ($435.65B vs $120.13B market cap).
- •MO trades at the lower earnings multiple (15.05 vs 49.41 P/E).
- •MO converts more revenue to profit (36.91% vs 3.01% net margin).
- •COST grew revenue faster over the past five years (9.48% vs 1.08% CAGR).
- •MO pays the higher dividend yield (5.84% vs 0.55%).
Which is better, COST or MO?
Metric tally: COST 6 · MO 10It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValueMO(lower P/E)
GrowthCOST(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeMO(higher dividend yield)
QualityMO(higher ROIC)
Valuation
| Metric | COST | MO |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 49.41 | 15.05● |
| Forward P/E | 43.40 | 12.23● |
| P/S ratio | 1.49● | 5.52 |
| P/B ratio | 13.03 | — |
| PEG ratio | 5.23 | 1.32● |
| EV / EBITDA | 29.43 | 11.93● |
| FCF yield | 2.02% | 7.16%● |
Profitability
| Metric | COST | MO |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 12.88% | 67.84%● |
| Operating margin | 3.82% | 50.73%● |
| Net margin | 3.01% | 36.91%● |
| ROE | 26.38%● | -198.37% |
| ROIC | 19.44% | 42.95%● |
Dividends
| Metric | COST | MO |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 0.55% | 5.84%● |
| Payout ratio | 29.44% | 102.19% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | COST | MO |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 9.48%● | 1.08% |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 15.04%● | 11.36% |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | 4.95%● | 1.28% |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 21.56%● | 16.42% |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, COST or MO?
- It depends on your goal. value: MO (lower P/E); growth: COST (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: MO (higher dividend yield); quality: MO (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, MO leads 10 to 6.
- Is COST or MO cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, MO is cheaper: COST trades at a 49.41 P/E and MO at 15.05.
- Which has grown faster, COST or MO?
- Over the past five years, COST grew revenue faster — COST at a 9.48% CAGR versus MO at 1.08%.
- Does COST or MO pay a bigger dividend?
- COST yields 0.55% and MO yields 5.84% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is COST or MO more profitable?
- MO runs the higher net margin — COST at 3.01% versus MO at 36.91%.
- Which has been the better investment, COST or MO?
- Over the past 10-year, COST delivered the higher annualized total return — COST at 21.26% versus MO at 7.92%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Costco Wholesale P/E ratioAltria P/E ratioCostco Wholesale dividend yieldAltria dividend yieldCostco Wholesale ROEAltria ROECostco Wholesale operating marginAltria operating marginCostco Wholesale revenue growthAltria revenue growthCostco Wholesale free cash flowAltria free cash flow
Costco Wholesale & Altria 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 14, 2026.