PriceSmart [PSMT] vs Costco Wholesale [COST] Detailed Stock Comparison

TLDR: Quick Comparison Summary

Based on 20 vital metrics comparison: PriceSmart wins in 12 metrics, Costco Wholesale wins in 8 metrics, with 0 ties. PriceSmart appears stronger overall.

View Metrics Details

Vital Metrics Comparison

MetricPriceSmartCostco WholesaleBetter
P/E Ratio (TTM)24.8154.93PriceSmart
Price-to-Book Ratio2.9215.83PriceSmart
Debt-to-Equity Ratio20.7530.81PriceSmart
PEG Ratio4.474.16Costco Wholesale
EV/EBITDA11.0833.98PriceSmart
Profit Margin (TTM)2.82%2.92%Costco Wholesale
Operating Margin (TTM)4.29%4.00%PriceSmart
EBITDA Margin (TTM)4.29%4.00%PriceSmart
Return on Equity12.59%32.08%Costco Wholesale
Return on Assets (TTM)6.96%8.79%Costco Wholesale
Free Cash Flow (TTM)$39.04M$6.63BCostco Wholesale
Dividend Yield1.74%0.64%PriceSmart
1-Year Return27.65%5.67%PriceSmart
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)0.701.60PriceSmart
Enterprise Value$3.53B$422.75BCostco Wholesale
EV/Revenue Ratio0.681.57PriceSmart
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)17.43%12.99%PriceSmart
Revenue per Share (TTM)$172$605Costco Wholesale
Earnings per Share (Diluted)$4.76$17.62Costco Wholesale
Beta (Stock Volatility)0.800.95PriceSmart
Performance
News Sentiment
Key Stats
Valuation
Financials
Short Interest
Dividends

PriceSmart vs Costco Wholesale Stock Performance Analysis

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Performance Comparison

Short-term Returns

Stock1D1W1M3M6MYTD
PriceSmart-2.98%4.19%2.81%6.62%37.30%23.32%
Costco Wholesale0.37%0.46%-2.36%-3.47%4.40%6.38%

Long-term Returns

Stock1Y3Y5Y10Y15Y20Y
PriceSmart27.65%84.12%70.38%45.18%298.82%1,246.42%
Costco Wholesale5.67%91.99%188.10%582.53%1,479.21%2,141.03%

News Based Sentiment: PriceSmart vs Costco Wholesale

PriceSmart

News based Sentiment: MIXED

September brought a mix of positive and negative developments for PriceSmart, including an analyst upgrade and strong institutional investment alongside increased short interest and a slight earnings miss. The leadership transition is a key factor to watch, and the upcoming Q4 earnings report will be crucial in determining the company's trajectory.

View PriceSmart News Sentiment Analysis

Costco Wholesale

News based Sentiment: POSITIVE

Costco delivered strong financial results for both August and the full fiscal year 2025, demonstrating continued growth in sales and membership. Strategic initiatives like exclusive member benefits and cost management efforts further strengthen the investment case, despite some insider selling activity.

View Costco Wholesale News Sentiment Analysis

Performance & Financial Health Analysis: PriceSmart vs Costco Wholesale

MetricPSMTCOST
Market Information
Market Cap i$3.52B$429.24B
Market Cap CategoryMid capMega cap
10 Day Avg. Volume i218,0301,697,740
90 Day Avg. Volume i194,5572,104,283
Last Close$114.58$967.90
52 Week Range$81.25 - $120.99$867.16 - $1,078.23
% from 52W High-5.30%-10.23%
All-Time High$126.64 (Nov 25, 2013)$1,078.23 (Feb 10, 2025)
% from All-Time High-9.52%-10.23%
Growth Metrics
Quarterly Revenue Growth0.07%0.08%
Quarterly Earnings Growth0.08%0.13%
Financial Health
Profit Margin (TTM) i0.03%0.03%
Operating Margin (TTM) i0.04%0.04%
Return on Equity (TTM) i0.13%0.32%
Debt to Equity (MRQ) i20.7530.81
Cash & Liquidity
Book Value per Share (MRQ)$40.49$61.16
Cash per Share (MRQ)$8.75$33.49
Operating Cash Flow (TTM) i$221.00M$12.43B
Levered Free Cash Flow (TTM) i$89.25M$5.91B
Dividends
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i1.74%0.64%
Last 12-Month Dividend i$1.84$6.08

Valuation & Enterprise Metrics Analysis: PriceSmart vs Costco Wholesale

MetricPSMTCOST
Price Ratios
P/E Ratio (TTM) i24.8154.93
Forward P/E i19.9549.18
PEG Ratio i4.474.16
Price to Sales (TTM) i0.701.60
Price to Book (MRQ) i2.9215.83
Market Capitalization
Market Capitalization i$3.52B$429.24B
Enterprise Value i$3.53B$422.75B
Enterprise Value Metrics
Enterprise to Revenue i0.681.57
Enterprise to EBITDA i11.0833.98
Risk & Other Metrics
Beta i0.800.95
Book Value per Share (MRQ) i$40.49$61.16

Financial Statements Comparison: PriceSmart vs Costco Wholesale

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)PSMTCOST
Revenue/Sales i$1.36B$63.21B
Cost of Goods Sold i$1.13B$55.00B
Gross Profit i$233.75M$8.21B
Research & Development iN/AN/A
Operating Income (EBIT) i$66.49M$2.53B
EBITDA i$85.68M$3.18B
Pre-Tax Income i$60.16M$2.58B
Income Tax i$16.38M$677.00M
Net Income (Profit) i$43.76M$1.90B

Balance Sheet & Liquidity Metrics (MRQ)

Metric (MRQ)PSMTCOST
Cash & Equivalents i$130.36M$13.84B
Total Current Assets i$875.14M$38.15B
Total Current Liabilities i$701.81M$37.58B
Long-Term Debt i$195.26M$8.18B
Total Shareholders Equity i$1.17B$27.13B
Retained Earnings i$932.67M$20.89B
Property, Plant & Equipment i$1.05B$33.30B

Cash Flow Statement Comparison (MRQ)

Metric (MRQ)PSMTCOST
Operating Cash Flow i$86.91M$3.46B
Capital Expenditures i$-34.43M$-1.13B
Free Cash Flow i$53.22M$2.33B
Debt Repayment i$-8.36M$-266.00M
Common Stock Repurchase i$-2.46M$-211.00M

Short Interest & Institutional Ownership Analysis

MetricPSMTCOST
Shares Short i1.62M6.84M
Short Ratio i8.713.03
Short % of Float i0.09%0.02%
Average Daily Volume (10 Day) i218,0301,697,740
Average Daily Volume (90 Day) i194,5572,104,283
Shares Outstanding i30.64M443.13M
Float Shares i27.65M442.27M
% Held by Insiders i0.08%0.00%
% Held by Institutions i0.99%0.72%

Dividend Analysis & Yield Comparison: PriceSmart vs Costco Wholesale

MetricPSMTCOST
Last 12-Month Dividend i$1.84$6.08
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i1.74%0.64%
3-Year Avg Annual Dividend i$1.59$9.67
3-Year Avg Dividend Yield i0.72%0.31%
3-Year Total Dividends i$4.77$29.02
Ex-Dividend DateAug 15, 2025Aug 01, 2025