COSTCO WHOLESALE CORP /NEW vs WALMART INC., two Discount Stores stocks. A side-by-side on valuation, growth, margins, returns, and what each price is betting.
Costco keeps the cleaner balance sheet: 0.17 debt to equity against Walmart's 0.47, and a current ratio of 1.07 against 0.77, in a business where suppliers effectively finance the shelves. The operating economics are near-twins, 4% operating margins each and 3% net. What separates them is the price of membership: Costco trades at 47.3 times earnings, Walmart at 40.2, multiples that grocery margins rarely see. The market is betting the warehouse club's renewal habit is the more durable annuity.
Comparison updated 2026-07-19.
| Metric | COST | WMT |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $951.61 | $111.23 |
| Market cap | $422.9B | $889.7B |
| Sector | Discount Stores | Discount Stores |
| Stage | Mature | Mature |
| Implied growth (priced in) | +28.2% | +16.7% |
| P/E | 47.9 | 39.2 |
| P/B | 12.62 | 8.84 |
| P/S | 1.44 | 1.23 |
| EV/EBITDA | 31.5 | 30.7 |
| Revenue growth | +9.3% | +5.9% |
| Operating margin | 4.0% | 4.2% |
| Net margin | 3.0% | 3.1% |
| Return on equity | 26.4% | 22.6% |
| Return on assets | 10.2% | 7.8% |
| Return on invested capital | 22.6% | 15.6% |
| FCF yield | 2.1% | 1.4% |
| Dividend yield | 0.5% | 0.8% |
| Debt / equity | 0.17 | 0.47 |
| Current ratio | 1.07 | 0.77 |
| Altman Z (solvency) | 8.77 | 8.97 |
| Piotroski F (quality) | 6 / 9 | 6 / 9 |
Each week boothcheck ranks the stocks whose prices are betting on the most. Read the most stretched bets archive →
boothcheck is also on Android. Get the app on Google Play →
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.