Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) vs Walmart Inc. (WMT)
WMT leads on 11 of 17 compared metrics.
A side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and Walmart Inc. 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
WMT
Walmart Inc.
$121.04Consumer Defensive
Total return — COST vs WMT
growth of $100 · last 30yCOST +9597.4%WMT +2695.4%COST compounded faster
COST WMT
COST vs WMT: by the numbers
- •WMT is the larger company ($963.25B vs $435.65B market cap).
- •WMT trades at the lower earnings multiple (42.47 vs 49.41 P/E).
- •WMT converts more revenue to profit (3.18% vs 3.01% net margin).
- •COST grew revenue faster over the past five years (9.48% vs 5.20% CAGR).
- •WMT pays the higher dividend yield (0.80% vs 0.55%).
Which is better, COST or WMT?
Metric tally: COST 6 · WMT 11It depends on what you're optimizing for:
ValueWMT(lower P/E)
GrowthCOST(faster 5Y revenue CAGR)
IncomeWMT(higher dividend yield)
QualityCOST(higher ROIC)
Valuation
| Metric | COST | WMT |
|---|---|---|
| P/E ratio | 49.41 | 42.47● |
| Forward P/E | 43.40 | 36.88● |
| P/S ratio | 1.49 | 1.33● |
| P/B ratio | 13.03 | 10.26● |
| PEG ratio | 5.23 | 3.29● |
| EV / EBITDA | 29.43 | 23.28● |
| FCF yield | 2.02%● | 1.30% |
Profitability
| Metric | COST | WMT |
|---|---|---|
| Gross margin | 12.88% | 24.98%● |
| Operating margin | 3.82% | 4.16%● |
| Net margin | 3.01% | 3.18%● |
| ROE | 26.38%● | 24.44% |
| ROIC | 19.44%● | 11.87% |
Dividends
| Metric | COST | WMT |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend yield | 0.55% | 0.80%● |
| Payout ratio | 29.44% | 35.22% |
Growth (annualized)
| Metric | COST | WMT |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue CAGR (5Y) | 9.48%● | 5.20% |
| EPS CAGR (5Y) | 15.04%● | 10.95% |
| FCF CAGR (5Y) | 4.95%● | -9.94% |
| Total return CAGR (5Y) | 21.56% | 22.41%● |
Frequently asked
- Which is better, COST or WMT?
- It depends on your goal. value: WMT (lower P/E); growth: COST (faster 5Y revenue CAGR); income: WMT (higher dividend yield); quality: COST (higher ROIC). Across all compared metrics, WMT leads 11 to 6.
- Is COST or WMT cheaper?
- On trailing earnings, WMT is cheaper: COST trades at a 49.41 P/E and WMT at 42.47.
- Which has grown faster, COST or WMT?
- Over the past five years, COST grew revenue faster — COST at a 9.48% CAGR versus WMT at 5.20%.
- Does COST or WMT pay a bigger dividend?
- COST yields 0.55% and WMT yields 0.80% based on trailing dividends and the latest price.
- Is COST or WMT more profitable?
- WMT runs the higher net margin — COST at 3.01% versus WMT at 3.18%.
- Which has been the better investment, COST or WMT?
- Over the past 10-year, COST delivered the higher annualized total return — COST at 21.26% versus WMT at 19.73%. Past performance doesn't predict future results.
Go deeper
Dig into the metrics
Costco Wholesale P/E ratioWalmart P/E ratioCostco Wholesale dividend yieldWalmart dividend yieldCostco Wholesale ROEWalmart ROECostco Wholesale operating marginWalmart operating marginCostco Wholesale revenue growthWalmart revenue growthCostco Wholesale free cash flowWalmart free cash flow
Costco Wholesale & Walmart 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 June 13, 2026.