Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) vs The Procter & Gamble Company (PG)
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 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
PG
The Procter & Gamble Company
$148.75Consumer DefensiveDelayed quote: Jul 28, 2026, 4:00 PM EDT
Total return — COST vs PG
growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 30yCOST +11175.1%PG +1365.9%COST compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
COST PG
COST vs PG: by the numbers
- •COST is the larger company ($428.66B vs $346.38B market cap).
- •PG trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (21.73 vs 47.87 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
- •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 (2.87% vs 0.56%).
Metrics side by side
Valuation
| Metric | COST | PG |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 47.87 | 21.73 |
| Forward P/E | 46.33 | 21.62 |
| P/S ratio | 1.44 | 4.14 |
| P/B ratio | 12.62 | 6.59 |
| PEG ratio | 5.23 | 3.01 |
| EV / EBITDA | 29.89 | 16.53 |
| FCF yield | 2.08% | 4.18% |
Profitability
| Metric | COST | PG |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 12.88% | 50.33% |
| Operating margin | 3.82% | 23.24% |
| Net margin | 3.01% | 19.22% |
| ROE | 26.38% | 30.58% |
| ROIC | 19.44% | 16.47% |
Dividends
| Metric | COST | PG |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 0.56% | 2.87% |
| Payout ratio | 29.44% | 63.85% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | COST | PG |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | 18.31% | 3.71% |
Frequently asked
- Which has the lower trailing P/E, COST or PG?
- PG has the lower trailing P/E: COST trades at 47.87 and PG at 21.73. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
- 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 0.56% and PG yields 2.87% 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%.
- How have COST and PG total returns compared?
- Over the past 10 years, COST delivered 20.06% and PG delivered 8.74% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Costco Wholesale P/E ratioProcter & Gamble P/E ratioCostco Wholesale dividend yieldProcter & Gamble dividend yieldCostco Wholesale ROEProcter & Gamble ROECostco Wholesale operating marginProcter & Gamble operating marginCostco Wholesale revenue growthProcter & Gamble revenue growthCostco Wholesale free cash flowProcter & Gamble free cash flow
Costco Wholesale & Procter & Gamble appear in these rankings
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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.