Costco Wholesale [COST] vs Walmart [WMT] Detailed Stock Comparison

TLDR: Quick Comparison Summary

Based on 20 vital metrics comparison: Costco Wholesale wins in 5 metrics, Walmart wins in 15 metrics, with 0 ties. Walmart appears stronger overall.

View Metrics Details

Vital Metrics Comparison

MetricCostco WholesaleWalmartBetter
P/E Ratio (TTM)53.5938.80Walmart
Price-to-Book Ratio15.429.10Walmart
Debt-to-Equity Ratio30.8168.72Costco Wholesale
PEG Ratio4.060.68Walmart
EV/EBITDA33.3820.52Walmart
Profit Margin (TTM)2.92%3.08%Walmart
Operating Margin (TTM)4.00%4.39%Walmart
EBITDA Margin (TTM)4.00%4.39%Walmart
Return on Equity32.08%23.38%Costco Wholesale
Return on Assets (TTM)8.79%6.99%Costco Wholesale
Free Cash Flow (TTM)$6.63B$12.66BWalmart
Dividend Yield0.64%0.93%Walmart
1-Year Return6.51%29.17%Walmart
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)1.561.18Walmart
Enterprise Value$415.33B$879.74BWalmart
EV/Revenue Ratio1.551.27Walmart
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)12.99%25.16%Walmart
Revenue per Share (TTM)$605$86Costco Wholesale
Earnings per Share (Diluted)$17.60$2.65Costco Wholesale
Beta (Stock Volatility)0.950.65Walmart
Performance
News Sentiment
Key Stats
Valuation
Financials
Short Interest
Dividends

Costco Wholesale vs Walmart Stock Performance Analysis

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Performance Comparison

Short-term Returns

Stock1D1W1M3M6MYTD
Costco Wholesale-0.21%-0.95%0.18%-4.38%1.40%3.68%
Walmart0.31%-0.53%7.27%5.95%21.58%14.50%

Long-term Returns

Stock1Y3Y5Y10Y15Y20Y
Costco Wholesale6.51%99.74%165.71%546.72%1,350.13%2,089.16%
Walmart29.17%138.38%120.05%375.76%479.26%605.34%

News Based Sentiment: Costco Wholesale vs Walmart

Costco Wholesale

News based Sentiment: MIXED

Costco delivered strong fiscal year results and continues to benefit from its membership model, but faces headwinds from a high valuation, mixed analyst sentiment, and recent stock price decline. The upcoming Q4 earnings report will be crucial in determining the company's trajectory.

View Costco Wholesale News Sentiment Analysis

Walmart

News based Sentiment: POSITIVE

September was a strong month for Walmart, marked by a record stock price and numerous analyst upgrades. While insider selling and emissions challenges exist, the company's strategic investments in AI, fintech, and operational improvements suggest a positive trajectory for long-term growth and investor returns.

View Walmart News Sentiment Analysis

Performance & Financial Health Analysis: Costco Wholesale vs Walmart

MetricCOSTWMT
Market Information
Market Cap i$418.31B$827.52B
Market Cap CategoryMega capMega cap
10 Day Avg. Volume i2,342,70617,663,290
90 Day Avg. Volume i2,172,20918,317,117
Last Close$943.31$103.05
52 Week Range$867.16 - $1,078.23$78.98 - $106.11
% from 52W High-12.51%-2.88%
All-Time High$1,078.23 (Feb 10, 2025)$106.11 (Sep 17, 2025)
% from All-Time High-12.51%-2.88%
Growth Metrics
Quarterly Revenue Growth0.08%0.05%
Quarterly Earnings Growth0.13%0.56%
Financial Health
Profit Margin (TTM) i0.03%0.03%
Operating Margin (TTM) i0.04%0.04%
Return on Equity (TTM) i0.32%0.23%
Debt to Equity (MRQ) i30.8168.72
Cash & Liquidity
Book Value per Share (MRQ)$61.16$11.30
Cash per Share (MRQ)$33.49$1.18
Operating Cash Flow (TTM) i$12.43B$38.44B
Levered Free Cash Flow (TTM) i$5.91B$8.34B
Dividends
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i0.64%0.93%
Last 12-Month Dividend i$6.08$0.88

Valuation & Enterprise Metrics Analysis: Costco Wholesale vs Walmart

MetricCOSTWMT
Price Ratios
P/E Ratio (TTM) i53.5938.80
Forward P/E i47.9337.80
PEG Ratio i4.060.68
Price to Sales (TTM) i1.561.18
Price to Book (MRQ) i15.429.10
Market Capitalization
Market Capitalization i$418.31B$827.52B
Enterprise Value i$415.33B$879.74B
Enterprise Value Metrics
Enterprise to Revenue i1.551.27
Enterprise to EBITDA i33.3820.52
Risk & Other Metrics
Beta i0.950.65
Book Value per Share (MRQ) i$61.16$11.30

Financial Statements Comparison: Costco Wholesale vs Walmart

Financial Metrics

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Revenue

EBITDA

Shareholders Equity

Operating Margin

Free Cash Flow

Long Term Debt

Profit Margin

Current Ratio

Operating Cash Flow

Income Statement (MRQ)

Metric (MRQ)COSTWMT
Revenue/Sales i$63.21B$165.61B
Cost of Goods Sold i$55.00B$124.30B
Gross Profit i$8.21B$41.31B
Research & Development iN/AN/A
Operating Income (EBIT) i$2.53B$7.14B
EBITDA i$3.18B$10.00B
Pre-Tax Income i$2.58B$5.99B
Income Tax i$677.00M$1.36B
Net Income (Profit) i$1.90B$4.64B

Balance Sheet & Liquidity Metrics (MRQ)

Metric (MRQ)COSTWMT
Cash & Equivalents i$13.84B$9.31B
Total Current Assets i$38.15B$80.25B
Total Current Liabilities i$37.58B$102.92B
Long-Term Debt i$8.18B$55.20B
Total Shareholders Equity i$27.13B$90.65B
Retained Earnings i$20.89B$90.85B
Property, Plant & Equipment i$33.30B$140.88B

Cash Flow Statement Comparison (MRQ)

Metric (MRQ)COSTWMT
Operating Cash Flow i$3.46B$7.58B
Capital Expenditures i$-1.13B$-4.96B
Free Cash Flow i$2.33B$425.00M
Debt Repayment i$-266.00M$0
Common Stock Repurchase i$-211.00M$-4.56B

Short Interest & Institutional Ownership Analysis

MetricCOSTWMT
Shares Short i6.84M38.97M
Short Ratio i3.032.19
Short % of Float i0.02%0.00%
Average Daily Volume (10 Day) i2,342,70617,663,290
Average Daily Volume (90 Day) i2,172,20918,317,117
Shares Outstanding i443.13M8.02B
Float Shares i442.24M4.36B
% Held by Insiders i0.00%0.45%
% Held by Institutions i0.72%0.36%

Dividend Analysis & Yield Comparison: Costco Wholesale vs Walmart

MetricCOSTWMT
Last 12-Month Dividend i$6.08$0.88
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i0.64%0.93%
3-Year Avg Annual Dividend i$9.67$0.81
3-Year Avg Dividend Yield i0.31%0.33%
3-Year Total Dividends i$29.02$2.44
Ex-Dividend DateAug 01, 2025May 09, 2025