Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) vs Philip Morris International Inc. (PM)
PM leads on 10 of 16 compared metrics.
A side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and Philip Morris International Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 28, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).
COST
Costco Wholesale Corporation
$952.54Consumer Defensive
PM
Philip Morris International Inc.
$180.77Consumer Defensive
Total return — COST vs PM
growth of $100 · last 18yCOST +1465.1%PM +266.0%COST compounded faster
COST PM
COST vs PM: by the numbers
- •COST is the larger company ($422.43B vs $281.74B market cap).
- •PM trades at the lower earnings multiple (25.42 vs 47.91 P/E).
- •PM converts more revenue to profit (26.74% vs 3.01% net margin).
- •COST grew revenue faster over the past five years (9.48% vs 7.34% CAGR).
- •PM pays the higher dividend yield (3.25% vs 0.62%).
Which is better, COST or PM?
Metric tally: COST 6 · PM 10It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValuePM(lower P/E)
GrowthCOST(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomePM(higher dividend yield)
QualityPM(higher ROIC)
Metrics side by side
Valuation
| Metric | COST | PM |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 47.91 | 25.42● |
| Forward P/E | 41.99 | 19.81● |
| P/S ratio | 1.44● | 6.81 |
| P/B ratio | 12.63 | — |
| PEG ratio | 5.23 | 0.36● |
| EV / EBITDA | 29.92 | 19.01● |
| FCF yield | 2.08% | 3.78%● |
Profitability
| Metric | COST | PM |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 12.88% | 67.30%● |
| Operating margin | 3.82% | 36.83%● |
| Net margin | 3.01% | 26.74%● |
| ROE | 26.38%● | -113.55% |
| ROIC | 19.44% | 25.56%● |
Dividends
| Metric | COST | PM |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 0.62% | 3.25%● |
| Payout ratio | 32.24% | 80.88% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | COST | PM |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 9.48%● | 7.34% |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 15.04%● | 7.10% |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | 4.95%● | 4.58% |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 20.02%● | 17.89% |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, COST or PM?
- It depends on your goal. value: PM (lower P/E); growth: COST (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: PM (higher dividend yield); quality: PM (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, PM leads 10 to 6.
- Is COST or PM cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, PM is cheaper: COST trades at a 47.91 P/E and PM at 25.42.
- Which has grown faster, COST or PM?
- Over the past five years, COST grew revenue faster — COST at a 9.48% CAGR versus PM at 7.34%.
- Does COST or PM pay a bigger dividend?
- COST yields 0.62% and PM yields 3.25% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is COST or PM more profitable?
- PM runs the higher net margin — COST at 3.01% versus PM at 26.74%.
- Which has been the better investment, COST or PM?
- Over the past 10-year, COST delivered the higher annualized total return — COST at 20.80% versus PM at 11.61%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Costco Wholesale P/E ratioPhilip Morris International P/E ratioCostco Wholesale dividend yieldPhilip Morris International dividend yieldCostco Wholesale ROEPhilip Morris International ROECostco Wholesale operating marginPhilip Morris International operating marginCostco Wholesale revenue growthPhilip Morris International revenue growthCostco Wholesale free cash flowPhilip Morris International free cash flow
Costco Wholesale & Philip Morris International 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 June 28, 2026.