Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) vs Target Corporation (TGT)
TGT leads on 10 of 16 compared metrics.
A side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and Target Corporation 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).
COST
Costco Wholesale Corporation
$982.35Consumer Defensive
TGT
Target Corporation
$135.23Consumer Defensive
Total return — COST vs TGT
growth of $100 · last 30yCOST +9597.4%TGT +1389.3%COST compounded faster
Log scale — wide-divergence pair
COST TGT
COST vs TGT: by the numbers
- •COST is the larger company ($435.65B vs $61.42B market cap).
- •TGT trades at the lower earnings multiple (17.86 vs 49.41 P/E).
- •TGT converts more revenue to profit (3.24% vs 3.01% net margin).
- •COST grew revenue faster over the past five years (9.48% vs 1.62% CAGR).
- •TGT pays the higher dividend yield (3.37% vs 0.55%).
Which is better, COST or TGT?
Metric tally: COST 6 · TGT 10It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValueTGT(lower P/E)
GrowthCOST(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeTGT(higher dividend yield)
QualityCOST(higher ROIC)
Valuation
| Metric | COST | TGT |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 49.41 | 17.86● |
| Forward P/E | 43.40 | 15.09● |
| P/S ratio | 1.49 | 0.58● |
| P/B ratio | 13.03 | 3.76● |
| PEG ratio | 5.23 | — |
| EV / EBITDA | 29.43 | 7.81● |
| FCF yield | 2.02% | 6.75%● |
Profitability
| Metric | COST | TGT |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 12.88% | 28.14%● |
| Operating margin | 3.82% | 4.49%● |
| Net margin | 3.01% | 3.24%● |
| ROE | 26.38%● | 21.04% |
| ROIC | 19.44%● | 9.76% |
Dividends
| Metric | COST | TGT |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 0.55% | 3.37%● |
| Payout ratio | 29.44% | 55.88% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | COST | TGT |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 9.48%● | 1.62% |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 15.04%● | -1.34% |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | 4.95%● | -12.12% |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 21.56%● | -7.66% |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, COST or TGT?
- It depends on your goal. value: TGT (lower P/E); growth: COST (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: TGT (higher dividend yield); quality: COST (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, TGT leads 10 to 6.
- Is COST or TGT cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, TGT is cheaper: COST trades at a 49.41 P/E and TGT at 17.86.
- Which has grown faster, COST or TGT?
- Over the past five years, COST grew revenue faster — COST at a 9.48% CAGR versus TGT at 1.62%.
- Does COST or TGT pay a bigger dividend?
- COST yields 0.55% and TGT yields 3.37% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is COST or TGT more profitable?
- TGT runs the higher net margin — COST at 3.01% versus TGT at 3.24%.
- Which has been the better investment, COST or TGT?
- Over the past 10-year, COST delivered the higher annualized total return — COST at 21.26% versus TGT at 10.33%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Costco Wholesale P/E ratioTarget P/E ratioCostco Wholesale dividend yieldTarget dividend yieldCostco Wholesale ROETarget ROECostco Wholesale operating marginTarget operating marginCostco Wholesale revenue growthTarget revenue growthCostco Wholesale free cash flowTarget free cash flow
Costco Wholesale & Target 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 13, 2026.