Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) vs Netflix, Inc. (NFLX)

NFLX leads on 14 of 16 compared metrics.

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

Costco Wholesale Corporation logo
COST
Costco Wholesale Corporation
$435.65B
$982.35Consumer Defensive
Netflix, Inc. logo
NFLX
Netflix, Inc.
$338.30B
$80.34Communication Services

Total return — COST vs NFLX

growth of $100 · last 24y
COST +2368.8%NFLX +67051.5%NFLX compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
101001k10k100k1MStart $100200620102014201820222026$2,469$67,151
COST NFLX

COST vs NFLX: by the numbers

  • •COST is the larger company ($435.65B vs $338.30B market cap).
  • •NFLX trades at the lower earnings multiple (25.92 vs 49.41 P/E).
  • •NFLX converts more revenue to profit (28.52% vs 3.01% net margin).
  • •NFLX grew revenue faster over the past five years (12.18% vs 9.48% CAGR).
  • •COST pays a dividend (0.55% yield) while NFLX does not currently pay one.

Which is better, COST or NFLX?

Metric tally: COST 2 · NFLX 14

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValueNFLX(lower P/E)
GrowthNFLX(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
QualityNFLX(higher ROIC)

Valuation

MetricCOSTNFLX
P/E ratio49.4125.92●
Forward P/E43.4020.96●
P/S ratio1.49●7.36
P/B ratio13.0311.09●
PEG ratio5.231.33●
EV / EBITDA29.4310.28●
FCF yield2.02%3.44%●

Profitability

MetricCOSTNFLX
Gross margin12.88%49.03%●
Operating margin3.82%29.72%●
Net margin3.01%28.52%●
ROE26.38%42.97%●
ROIC19.44%25.22%●

Dividends

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

Growth (annualized)

MetricCOSTNFLX
Revenue CAGR (5Y)9.48%12.18%●
EPS CAGR (5Y)15.04%32.58%●
FCF CAGR (5Y)4.95%37.02%●
Total return CAGR (5Y)21.56%●10.44%

Frequently asked

Which is better, COST or NFLX?
It depends on your goal. value: NFLX (lower P/E); growth: NFLX (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); quality: NFLX (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, NFLX leads 14 to 2.
Is COST or NFLX cheaper?
On trailing earnings, NFLX is cheaper: COST trades at a 49.41 P/E and NFLX at 25.92.
Which has grown faster, COST or NFLX?
Over the past five years, NFLX grew revenue faster — COST at a 9.48% CAGR versus NFLX at 12.18%.
Does COST or NFLX pay a bigger dividend?
COST pays a dividend (0.55% yield) while NFLX does not currently pay one.
Is COST or NFLX more profitable?
NFLX runs the higher net margin — COST at 3.01% versus NFLX at 28.52%.
Which has been the better investment, COST or NFLX?
Over the past 10-year, NFLX delivered the higher annualized total return — COST at 21.26% versus NFLX at 23.95%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full COST analysisFull NFLX analysisInteractive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Costco Wholesale P/E ratioNetflix P/E ratioCostco Wholesale dividend yieldNetflix dividend yieldCostco Wholesale ROENetflix ROECostco Wholesale operating marginNetflix operating marginCostco Wholesale revenue growthNetflix revenue growthCostco Wholesale free cash flowNetflix free cash flow

Costco Wholesale & Netflix 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 14, 2026.