Competitive view
COST vs. two close competitors
This section compares the current company against two nearby peers on valuation, growth, margins, balance-sheet strength, and investment setup. Green generally marks the strongest relative figure for that row, while red marks the weakest.
YouTube
Costco Wholesale
COST
Latest video
Q3 FY2026
Growth profile looks strong right now, with above-average top-line and/or earnings momentum.
Profitability is serviceable, but it does not obviously dominate peers on margin or cash conversion alone.
Valuation already asks investors to pay up, so the upside case depends on continued execution staying strong.
Risk profile looks relatively manageable compared with many peers, especially if operating execution remains stable.
YouTube
Walmart Inc.
WMT
Latest video
Q1 FY2027
Growth is positive but not explosive, which usually supports a steadier compounding case than a hyper-growth story.
Profitability is serviceable, but it does not obviously dominate peers on margin or cash conversion alone.
Valuation already asks investors to pay up, so the upside case depends on continued execution staying strong.
Risk profile looks relatively manageable compared with many peers, especially if operating execution remains stable.
YouTube
Home Depot Inc.
HD
Latest video
Q1 2026
Growth profile looks mature or currently muted, which can cap multiple expansion unless execution improves.
Cash generation stands out versus market value, which helps the stock absorb valuation pressure better than weaker cash converters.
Valuation sits in a middle zone where future upside likely depends more on quarterly execution than on multiple re-rating alone.
Balance-sheet leverage is elevated, so investors should watch refinancing costs and how much flexibility management really has.
Market Cap
More scale can mean deeper resources and resilience, although bigger does not automatically mean better upside.
COST
$435.65B
Costco Wholesale
WMT
$963.25B
Walmart Inc.
HD
$327.44B
Home Depot Inc.
Trailing P/E
Lower trailing P/E can indicate a cheaper valuation relative to trailing earnings, but it may also reflect slower growth or higher perceived risk.
COST
49.5x
Costco Wholesale
WMT
42.6x
Walmart Inc.
HD
23.3x
Home Depot Inc.
Forward P/E
Forward P/E is often a better read on what investors are paying for the next year of earnings power.
COST
43.4x
Costco Wholesale
WMT
36.8x
Walmart Inc.
HD
20.4x
Home Depot Inc.
Revenue Growth
Higher revenue growth usually signals stronger demand, market share gains, or a business still in expansion mode.
COST
21.5%
Costco Wholesale
WMT
7.3%
Walmart Inc.
HD
4.8%
Home Depot Inc.
Earnings Growth
Faster earnings growth matters because it shows management is converting sales momentum into shareholder value.
COST
45.5%
Costco Wholesale
WMT
19.4%
Walmart Inc.
HD
-4.3%
Home Depot Inc.
Operating Margin
Higher operating margin suggests better operating discipline, pricing power, or a structurally stronger business model.
COST
3.7%
Costco Wholesale
WMT
4.2%
Walmart Inc.
HD
11.9%
Home Depot Inc.
Gross Margin
Gross margin helps show how much product-level pricing power and unit economics a company has before overhead.
COST
12.9%
Costco Wholesale
WMT
25.0%
Walmart Inc.
HD
33.1%
Home Depot Inc.
Net Margin
Higher net margin means more of each dollar of revenue reaches the bottom line after all costs.
COST
3.0%
Costco Wholesale
WMT
3.1%
Walmart Inc.
HD
8.4%
Home Depot Inc.
Return on Equity
ROE shows how efficiently management turns shareholder capital into profits, though leverage can inflate it.
COST
29.2%
Costco Wholesale
WMT
24.1%
Walmart Inc.
HD
128.4%
Home Depot Inc.
Free Cash Flow Yield
Higher free cash flow yield can indicate a stronger cash return relative to the stock's market value.
COST
1.6%
Costco Wholesale
WMT
0.7%
Walmart Inc.
HD
3.1%
Home Depot Inc.
Debt to Equity
Lower leverage usually means less balance-sheet risk, though capital-intensive sectors naturally run higher debt loads.
COST
60.26x
Costco Wholesale
WMT
74.82x
Walmart Inc.
HD
459.36x
Home Depot Inc.
Current Ratio
A stronger current ratio usually signals better short-term liquidity and more room to absorb shocks.
COST
1.07x
Costco Wholesale
WMT
0.77x
Walmart Inc.
HD
1.04x
Home Depot Inc.
Beta
Lower beta often means lower volatility versus the market, while higher beta usually brings a rougher ride.
COST
0.87
Costco Wholesale
WMT
0.60
Walmart Inc.
HD
0.97
Home Depot Inc.
Dividend Yield
Dividend yield matters for income-focused investors, but a high yield can also reflect a stressed stock price.
COST
0.6%
Costco Wholesale
WMT
0.8%
Walmart Inc.
HD
2.1%
Home Depot Inc.
Analyst Upside
Higher analyst upside suggests the Street still sees room between current price and consensus fair value.
COST
10.2%
Costco Wholesale
WMT
14.3%
Walmart Inc.
HD
12.7%
Home Depot Inc.