Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) vs PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP)

PEP leads on 11 of 17 compared metrics.

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

Total return — COST vs PEP

growth of $100 · last 30y
COST +9597.4%PEP +330.7%COST compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
101001k10k100kStart $100200120062011201620212026$9,697$431
COST PEP

COST vs PEP: by the numbers

  • COST is the larger company ($435.65B vs $197.21B market cap).
  • PEP trades at the lower earnings multiple (22.65 vs 49.41 P/E).
  • PEP converts more revenue to profit (9.16% vs 3.01% net margin).
  • COST grew revenue faster over the past five years (9.48% vs 6.00% CAGR).
  • PEP pays the higher dividend yield (3.98% vs 0.55%).

Which is better, COST or PEP?

Metric tally: COST 6 · PEP 11

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

ValuePEP(lower P/E)
GrowthCOST(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomePEP(higher dividend yield)
QualityCOST(higher ROIC)

Valuation

MetricCOSTPEP
P/E ratio49.4122.65
Forward P/E43.4015.81
P/S ratio1.492.07
P/B ratio13.039.25
PEG ratio5.239.44
EV / EBITDA29.4315.92
FCF yield2.02%4.47%

Profitability

MetricCOSTPEP
Gross margin12.88%54.06%
Operating margin3.82%14.79%
Net margin3.01%9.16%
ROE26.38%40.89%
ROIC19.44%13.29%

Dividends

MetricCOSTPEP
Dividend yield0.55%3.98%
Payout ratio29.44%95.32%

Growth (annualized)

MetricCOSTPEP
Revenue CAGR (5Y)9.48%6.00%
EPS CAGR (5Y)15.04%2.40%
FCF CAGR (5Y)4.95%6.62%
Total return CAGR (5Y)21.56%2.72%

Frequently asked

Which is better, COST or PEP?
It depends on your goal. value: PEP (lower P/E); growth: COST (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: PEP (higher dividend yield); quality: COST (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, PEP leads 11 to 6.
Is COST or PEP cheaper?
On trailing earnings, PEP is cheaper: COST trades at a 49.41 P/E and PEP at 22.65.
Which has grown faster, COST or PEP?
Over the past five years, COST grew revenue faster — COST at a 9.48% CAGR versus PEP at 6.00%.
Does COST or PEP pay a bigger dividend?
COST yields 0.55% and PEP yields 3.98% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is COST or PEP more profitable?
PEP runs the higher net margin — COST at 3.01% versus PEP at 9.16%.
Which has been the better investment, COST or PEP?
Over the past 10-year, COST delivered the higher annualized total return — COST at 21.26% versus PEP at 6.61%. 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 13, 2026.