Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) vs Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ)
VZ leads on 10 of 16 compared metrics.
A side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and Verizon Communications Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of June 14, 2026. The ● marks the stronger figure on each row (cheaper multiple, higher margin/return).
COST
Costco Wholesale Corporation
$982.35Consumer Defensive
VZ
Verizon Communications Inc.
$48.11Communication Services
Not enough overlapping price history to compare COST and VZ.
COST vs VZ: by the numbers
- •COST is the larger company ($435.65B vs $200.89B market cap).
- •VZ trades at the lower earnings multiple (11.73 vs 49.41 P/E).
- •VZ converts more revenue to profit (12.46% vs 3.01% net margin).
- •COST grew revenue faster over the past five years (9.48% vs 1.44% CAGR).
- •VZ pays the higher dividend yield (5.75% vs 0.55%).
Which is better, COST or VZ?
Metric tally: COST 6 · VZ 10It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValueVZ(lower P/E)
GrowthCOST(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeVZ(higher dividend yield)
QualityCOST(higher ROIC)
Valuation
| Metric | COST | VZ |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 49.41 | 11.73● |
| Forward P/E | 43.40 | 9.17● |
| P/S ratio | 1.49 | 1.46● |
| P/B ratio | 13.03 | 1.96● |
| PEG ratio | 5.23 | — |
| EV / EBITDA | 29.43 | 8.02● |
| FCF yield | 2.02% | 9.90%● |
Profitability
| Metric | COST | VZ |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 12.88% | 58.85%● |
| Operating margin | 3.82% | 21.22%● |
| Net margin | 3.01% | 12.46%● |
| ROE | 26.38%● | 16.78% |
| ROIC | 19.44%● | 6.22% |
Dividends
| Metric | COST | VZ |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 0.55% | 5.75%● |
| Payout ratio | 29.44% | 68.10% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | COST | VZ |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 9.48%● | 1.44% |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 15.04%● | -1.14% |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | 4.95%● | -1.27% |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 21.56%● | 2.76% |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, COST or VZ?
- It depends on your goal. value: VZ (lower P/E); growth: COST (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: VZ (higher dividend yield); quality: COST (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, VZ leads 10 to 6.
- Is COST or VZ cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, VZ is cheaper: COST trades at a 49.41 P/E and VZ at 11.73.
- Which has grown faster, COST or VZ?
- Over the past five years, COST grew revenue faster — COST at a 9.48% CAGR versus VZ at 1.44%.
- Does COST or VZ pay a bigger dividend?
- COST yields 0.55% and VZ yields 5.75% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is COST or VZ more profitable?
- VZ runs the higher net margin — COST at 3.01% versus VZ at 12.46%.
- Which has been the better investment, COST or VZ?
- Over the past 10-year, COST delivered the higher annualized total return — COST at 21.26% versus VZ at 4.53%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Costco Wholesale P/E ratioVerizon Communications P/E ratioCostco Wholesale dividend yieldVerizon Communications dividend yieldCostco Wholesale ROEVerizon Communications ROECostco Wholesale operating marginVerizon Communications operating marginCostco Wholesale revenue growthVerizon Communications revenue growthCostco Wholesale free cash flowVerizon Communications free cash flow
Costco Wholesale & Verizon Communications 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 14, 2026.