Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) vs PepsiCo, Inc. (PEP)
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 July 28, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.
COST
Costco Wholesale Corporation
$966.58Consumer DefensiveDelayed quote: Jul 28, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT
PEP
PepsiCo, Inc.
$142.86Consumer DefensiveDelayed quote: Jul 28, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT
Total return — COST vs PEP
growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 30yCOST +11175.1%PEP +819.5%COST compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
COST PEP
COST vs PEP: by the numbers
- •COST is the larger company ($428.66B vs $195.15B market cap).
- •PEP trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (18.32 vs 47.87 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
- •PEP converts more revenue to profit (10.82% vs 3.01% net margin).
- •COST grew revenue faster over the past five years (9.48% vs 5.37% CAGR).
- •PEP pays the higher dividend yield (4.11% vs 0.56%).
Metrics side by side
Valuation
| Metric | COST | PEP |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 47.87 | 18.32 |
| Forward P/E | 46.33 | 16.34 |
| P/S ratio | 1.44 | 1.97 |
| P/B ratio | 12.62 | 8.66 |
| PEG ratio | 5.23 | 7.63 |
| EV / EBITDA | 29.89 | 12.43 |
| FCF yield | 2.08% | 4.85% |
Profitability
| Metric | COST | PEP |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 12.88% | 53.96% |
| Operating margin | 3.82% | 14.96% |
| Net margin | 3.01% | 10.82% |
| ROE | 26.38% | 47.45% |
| ROIC | 19.44% | 13.29% |
Dividends
| Metric | COST | PEP |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 0.56% | 4.11% |
| Payout ratio | 29.44% | 95.32% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | COST | PEP |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 9.48% | 5.37% |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 15.04% | 2.40% |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | 4.95% | 5.40% |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 18.31% | 0.72% |
Frequently asked
- Which has the lower trailing P/E, COST or PEP?
- PEP has the lower trailing P/E: COST trades at 47.87 and PEP at 18.32. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
- 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 5.37%.
- Does COST or PEP pay a bigger dividend?
- COST yields 0.56% and PEP yields 4.11% 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 10.82%.
- How have COST and PEP total returns compared?
- Over the past 10 years, COST delivered 20.06% and PEP delivered 5.85% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Costco Wholesale P/E ratioPepsiCo P/E ratioCostco Wholesale dividend yieldPepsiCo dividend yieldCostco Wholesale ROEPepsiCo ROECostco Wholesale operating marginPepsiCo operating marginCostco Wholesale revenue growthPepsiCo revenue growthCostco Wholesale free cash flowPepsiCo free cash flow
Costco Wholesale & PepsiCo 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 July 28, 2026.