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

TLDR: Quick Comparison Summary

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

View Metrics Details

Vital Metrics Comparison

MetricWalmartCostco WholesaleBetter
P/E Ratio (TTM)39.0554.93Walmart
Price-to-Book Ratio9.1615.83Walmart
Debt-to-Equity Ratio68.7230.81Costco Wholesale
PEG Ratio0.684.16Walmart
EV/EBITDA20.7333.98Walmart
Profit Margin (TTM)3.08%2.92%Walmart
Operating Margin (TTM)4.39%4.00%Walmart
EBITDA Margin (TTM)4.39%4.00%Walmart
Return on Equity23.38%32.08%Costco Wholesale
Return on Assets (TTM)6.99%8.79%Costco Wholesale
Free Cash Flow (TTM)$12.66B$6.63BWalmart
Dividend Yield0.93%0.64%Walmart
1-Year Return31.04%5.00%Walmart
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)1.191.60Walmart
Enterprise Value$888.99B$422.75BWalmart
EV/Revenue Ratio1.281.57Walmart
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)25.16%12.99%Walmart
Revenue per Share (TTM)$86$605Costco Wholesale
Earnings per Share (Diluted)$2.65$17.62Costco Wholesale
Beta (Stock Volatility)0.650.95Walmart
Performance
News Sentiment
Key Stats
Valuation
Financials
Short Interest
Dividends

Walmart vs Costco Wholesale Stock Performance Analysis

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Performance Comparison

Short-term Returns

Stock1D1W1M3M6MYTD
Walmart-0.64%0.93%2.88%8.95%21.04%15.11%
Costco Wholesale-1.11%-1.24%-2.76%-2.31%6.05%4.68%

Long-term Returns

Stock1Y3Y5Y10Y15Y20Y
Walmart31.04%138.99%126.40%387.30%474.60%619.44%
Costco Wholesale5.00%104.19%178.00%554.32%1,386.90%2,124.10%

News Based Sentiment: Walmart vs Costco Wholesale

Walmart

News based Sentiment: MIXED

September presented a mixed picture for Walmart, with an earnings miss tempered by raised guidance and continued strategic investments in international expansion and AI. While the company faces challenges in meeting its ESG goals, its strong e-commerce growth and positive analyst outlook suggest continued long-term potential, making it a significant month for investors to assess.

View Walmart News Sentiment Analysis

Costco Wholesale

News based Sentiment: POSITIVE

Costco delivered a strong fiscal year 2025 with robust sales growth and continued e-commerce momentum. Analyst confidence remains high, as evidenced by UBS's 'Buy' rating and increased institutional investment, despite some insider selling. The upcoming Q4 earnings report on September 25th will be a key event to watch.

View Costco Wholesale News Sentiment Analysis

Performance & Financial Health Analysis: Walmart vs Costco Wholesale

MetricWMTCOST
Market Information
Market Cap i$825.11B$422.16B
Market Cap CategoryMega capMega cap
10 Day Avg. Volume i15,031,8101,697,740
90 Day Avg. Volume i17,753,2102,104,283
Last Close$103.60$952.36
52 Week Range$77.49 - $106.11$867.16 - $1,078.23
% from 52W High-2.37%-11.67%
All-Time High$106.11 (Sep 17, 2025)$1,078.23 (Feb 10, 2025)
% from All-Time High-2.37%-11.67%
Growth Metrics
Quarterly Revenue Growth0.05%0.08%
Quarterly Earnings Growth0.56%0.13%
Financial Health
Profit Margin (TTM) i0.03%0.03%
Operating Margin (TTM) i0.04%0.04%
Return on Equity (TTM) i0.23%0.32%
Debt to Equity (MRQ) i68.7230.81
Cash & Liquidity
Book Value per Share (MRQ)$11.30$61.16
Cash per Share (MRQ)$1.18$33.49
Operating Cash Flow (TTM) i$38.44B$12.43B
Levered Free Cash Flow (TTM) i$8.34B$5.91B
Dividends
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i0.93%0.64%
Last 12-Month Dividend i$0.88$6.08

Valuation & Enterprise Metrics Analysis: Walmart vs Costco Wholesale

MetricWMTCOST
Price Ratios
P/E Ratio (TTM) i39.0554.93
Forward P/E i38.0549.18
PEG Ratio i0.684.16
Price to Sales (TTM) i1.191.60
Price to Book (MRQ) i9.1615.83
Market Capitalization
Market Capitalization i$825.11B$422.16B
Enterprise Value i$888.99B$422.75B
Enterprise Value Metrics
Enterprise to Revenue i1.281.57
Enterprise to EBITDA i20.7333.98
Risk & Other Metrics
Beta i0.650.95
Book Value per Share (MRQ) i$11.30$61.16

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

Balance Sheet & Liquidity Metrics (MRQ)

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

Cash Flow Statement Comparison (MRQ)

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

Short Interest & Institutional Ownership Analysis

MetricWMTCOST
Shares Short i38.97M6.84M
Short Ratio i2.193.03
Short % of Float i0.00%0.02%
Average Daily Volume (10 Day) i15,031,8101,697,740
Average Daily Volume (90 Day) i17,753,2102,104,283
Shares Outstanding i8.02B443.13M
Float Shares i4.35B442.24M
% Held by Insiders i0.45%0.00%
% Held by Institutions i0.36%0.72%

Dividend Analysis & Yield Comparison: Walmart vs Costco Wholesale

MetricWMTCOST
Last 12-Month Dividend i$0.88$6.08
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield i0.93%0.64%
3-Year Avg Annual Dividend i$0.81$9.67
3-Year Avg Dividend Yield i0.33%0.31%
3-Year Total Dividends i$2.44$29.02
Ex-Dividend DateMay 09, 2025Aug 01, 2025