Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) vs The Procter & Gamble Company (PG)

PG leads on 11 of 17 compared metrics.

A side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and The Procter & Gamble Company 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 PG

growth of $100 · last 30y
COST +9597.4%PG +575.4%COST compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
101001k10k100kStart $100200120062011201620212026$9,697$675
COST PG

COST vs PG: by the numbers

  • COST is the larger company ($435.65B vs $348.38B market cap).
  • PG trades at the lower earnings multiple (21.87 vs 49.41 P/E).
  • PG converts more revenue to profit (19.22% vs 3.01% net margin).
  • COST grew revenue faster over the past five years (9.48% vs 2.98% CAGR).
  • PG pays the higher dividend yield (2.85% vs 0.55%).

Which is better, COST or PG?

Metric tally: COST 6 · PG 11

It depends on what you're optimizing for:

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

Valuation

MetricCOSTPG
P/E ratio49.4121.87
Forward P/E43.4021.17
P/S ratio1.494.17
P/B ratio13.036.63
PEG ratio5.233.09
EV / EBITDA29.4316.61
FCF yield2.02%4.16%

Profitability

MetricCOSTPG
Gross margin12.88%50.33%
Operating margin3.82%23.24%
Net margin3.01%19.22%
ROE26.38%30.58%
ROIC19.44%16.47%

Dividends

MetricCOSTPG
Dividend yield0.55%2.85%
Payout ratio29.44%63.85%

Growth (annualized)

MetricCOSTPG
Revenue CAGR (5Y)9.48%2.98%
EPS CAGR (5Y)15.04%5.39%
FCF CAGR (5Y)4.95%-1.64%
Total return CAGR (5Y)21.56%4.73%

Frequently asked

Which is better, COST or PG?
It depends on your goal. value: PG (lower P/E); growth: COST (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: PG (higher dividend yield); quality: COST (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, PG leads 11 to 6.
Is COST or PG cheaper?
On trailing earnings, PG is cheaper: COST trades at a 49.41 P/E and PG at 21.87.
Which has grown faster, COST or PG?
Over the past five years, COST grew revenue faster — COST at a 9.48% CAGR versus PG at 2.98%.
Does COST or PG pay a bigger dividend?
COST yields 0.55% and PG yields 2.85% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
Is COST or PG more profitable?
PG runs the higher net margin — COST at 3.01% versus PG at 19.22%.
Which has been the better investment, COST or PG?
Over the past 10-year, COST delivered the higher annualized total return — COST at 21.26% versus PG at 8.98%. 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.