COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP /NEW vs DOLLAR GENERAL CORP, two Discount Stores stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Where COST and DG diverge most: on p/b, COST reads 12.41 and DG reads 2.94; on fcf yield, COST reads 2.1% and DG reads 8.5%. The rest of the comparable metrics sit closer together. What COST's price implies is an extreme bet versus history and the cohort (whole-company basis). What DG's price implies is a bet that sits within the historical range (whole-company basis). The bull and bear cases for each are in their full reports below.
| Metric | COST | DG |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $935.35 | $117.19 |
| Market cap | $415.7B | $26.0B |
| Sector | Discount Stores | Discount Stores |
| Stage | Mature | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +32.1% | — |
| P/E | 47.0 | 16.6 |
| P/B | 12.41 | 2.94 |
| P/S | 1.42 | 0.60 |
| EV/EBITDA | 30.9 | 8.8 |
| Revenue growth | +9.3% | +4.7% |
| Gross margin | — | 31.6% |
| Operating margin | 4.0% | 5.9% |
| Net margin | 3.0% | 3.6% |
| Return on equity | 26.4% | 17.7% |
| Return on assets | 10.2% | 4.9% |
| Return on invested capital | 22.6% | 12.7% |
| FCF yield | 2.1% | 8.5% |
| Dividend yield | 0.5% | 2.0% |
| Debt / equity | 0.17 | 0.52 |
| Current ratio | 1.07 | 1.17 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 8.69 | 2.36 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 6 / 9 | 6 / 9 |
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The stronger value is highlighted per metric where one is strictly better on that single number; it is not an overall verdict on either company. For informational and research purposes only. Not investment advice. Not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. boothcheck is not a registered investment adviser. Past performance does not guarantee future results.