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Costco Wholesale vs Walmart
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COST vs WMT: the verdict
How COST and WMT compare today, and what CleaRank Financial AI makes of it.
The verdict
CleaRank Financial AI favours
COST
COST
WMT
72/100
AI score
65/100
+7.8%
1-year change
+14.2%
15.9%
Volatility (30d, yearly)
24.3%
69.7
RSI (14-day)
66.4
48.3x
P/E ratio
43.4x
0.57%
Dividend yield
0.83%
The verdict
Costco Wholesale (COST) comes out ahead on CleaRank's model, scoring 72/100 (Buy) against 65/100 (Buy) for Walmart (WMT). The widest gap is the trend: for COST, the price is 3.65% above its 200-day average and 6.96% above its 50-day average.
Outlook
COST's uptrend holds while it stays above its 50-day average at $939.75 and its 200-day at $969.80. WMT's uptrend holds while it stays above its 50-day average at $109.53 and its 200-day at $118.46.
Price, side by side
Both prices start at 0% on the first day of the period you pick, so the moves compare directly.
Rebased price
-5%0%+5%+10%+11%+8.9%
Oct '26
-5%0%+5%+7.7%+5.6%
Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26
-20%-10%0%+10%+0.7%-5.7%
May '26Jun '26Jul '26Aug '26Sep '26Oct '26
-10%0%+10%+20%+13%+7.8%
Nov '25Jan '26Mar '26Jun '26Aug '26Oct '26
0%+20%+40%+60%+80%+63%+15%
Sep '24Feb '25Jul '25Dec '25May '26Oct '26
Over 1 year: COST gained 7.8% and WMT gained 13.3%, a gap of 5.5 points in WMT's favour.
Valuation and profitability
What each costs relative to its earnings and sales, and how much of its revenue it keeps.
Side by side
Valuation
Lower multiples mean you pay less for each dollar of earnings or sales.
COST
WMT
$445.4B
Market cap
$949.6B
48.3x
P/E ratio
43.4x
1.5x
Price / sales
1.3x
12.4x
Price / book
9.7x
30.6x
EV / EBITDA
23.2x
Profitability
How much of each dollar of revenue becomes profit, and how hard the capital works.
COST
WMT
+11.6%
Revenue growth (quarter, y/y)
+7.3%
3.0%
Net margin
3.0%
28.4%
Return on equity
22.3%
8.7%
Return on assets
6.4%
0.28
Debt / equity
0.72
On valuation
COST trades on the higher trailing P/E, 48.33 against 43.44 for WMT. Both P/Es are at a premium to peers, against a Consumer Defensive median of 24.2. On sales, COST is valued higher, at 1.47 times against 1.30. WMT is the larger company, worth $957.2B against $445.4B.
On profitability
COST turns more of its sales into profit, with a net margin of 3.04% compared with 3.00% for WMT. Its return on equity is also higher, at 28.40% against 22.31%. Year on year, in the latest quarter, revenue grew 11.58% at COST and 7.33% at WMT. The trailing dividend yield is 0.57% for COST and 0.82% for WMT.
Earnings reality check
COST
COST beat the estimate in 5 of its last 7 reports (latest Sep '26); the shares fell the next session after 1 of those beats.
Surprise
Next session
Mar '25Sep '25Mar '26Sep '26
WMT
WMT beat the estimate in 4 of its last 6 reports (latest Aug '26); the shares fell the next session after 3 of those beats.
Surprise
Next session
Aug '25Feb '26Aug '26
Momentum and sentiment
The indicators behind each AI score, side by side.
Indicators side by side
COST
WMT
72/100
AI score
65/100
69.7
RSI (14-day)
66.4
+7.0%
Price against 50-day average
+8.8%
+3.6%
Price against 200-day average
+0.7%
Technicals
COST is in an uptrend, trading 6.96% above its 50-day average and 3.65% above its 200-day average. Its 14-day RSI is 69.7, in the bullish zone, with the MACD line positive. WMT is in an uptrend, trading 8.84% above its 50-day average and 0.71% above its 200-day average. Its 14-day RSI is 70.2, in the overbought zone, with the MACD line positive. COST sits higher in its 52-week range, at 64% against 59% for WMT.
Sentiment
COST has 40 analysts with a current rating: 25 buy, 13 hold and 2 sell. Their median target of $1,065.00 sits 6.0% above the price. For WMT, 43 analysts cover the stock, with 38 rating it buy, 4 hold and 1 sell. The median target there is $129.00, 7.2% above the price.
Risk and practical tips
How much each moves, how much return each has paid for that risk, and what to watch if you hold either.
Risk measures
COST
WMT
15.9%
Volatility (30d, yearly)
24.3%
0.87
Beta against the S&P 500
0.58
0.21
Sharpe ratio
0.84
Risk
WMT moves more on an average day, 1.44% against 1.03% for COST. Against the S&P 500, COST has a beta of 0.87 and WMT 0.58. Their worst falls in the price history were 31.4% for COST (April 2022 to May 2022) and 25.7% for WMT (April 2022 to June 2022). The measures split: COST has the higher beta and has had the deeper worst fall, while WMT moves more on an average day.
ProTips
- For COST, watch the 52-week high at $1,096.50 above the price and the 20-day EMA at $971.01 below it.
- For WMT, watch the 52-week high at $135.16 above the price and the 200-day SMA at $118.46 below it.
COST vs WMT: long-term scenarios
Simulated paths from each price history. A range of outcomes, not a forecast.
Simulated growth of $10,000
$20K$40K$60K$65.9K$62.8K$26.9K$25.6K
202620282030203220342036
COST
WMT
$10,941
Downside, 2036 (10th)
$10,394
$26,859
Base case, 2036 (median)
$25,556
$65,936
Upside, 2036 (90th)
$62,839
In the median simulated path, $10,000 in COST grows to about $26,900 and $10,000 in WMT to about $25,600 by 2036. The paths come from each asset's own historical volatility and trend; they are statistical outcomes, not forecasts.
Trade plans for both
Entry, stop and target levels from each moving average and its volatility. Educational, not advice.
Actionable Trade Plans
Select Your Trade Bias
Risk Tolerance
Conservative
3%
Aggressive
Portfolio Value
$
✎
Position Size: $200 - $300 per asset
COST
Current: $1,005.16
ENTRY ZONES
Conservative
$954.90
Aggressive
$1,005.16
RISK MANAGEMENT
STOP LOSS
$926.25
MAX LOSS
-3%
Volatility-Adjusted Stop Loss
Calculated based on volatility and technical support levels.
Profit Targets (Based on Conservative)
+5% from current
$1,055.42
+10% from current
$1,105.68
+15% from current
$1,155.93
WMT
Current: $119.32
ENTRY ZONES
Conservative
$113.35
Aggressive
$119.32
RISK MANAGEMENT
STOP LOSS
$109.95
MAX LOSS
-3%
Volatility-Adjusted Stop Loss
Calculated based on volatility and technical support levels.
Profit Targets (Based on Conservative)
+5% from current
$125.29
+10% from current
$131.25
+15% from current
$137.22
Calculate Your Trade
Disclaimer
The content is for educational purposes only. The verdict weighs trend, valuation and risk together. Trading involves risk of loss. Note: The AI favored COST based on its price trend, on today's data.
COST vs WMT: questions people ask
Answered from the figures on this page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, COST or WMT?+
On CleaRank's model COST scores higher, 72/100 (Buy) against 65/100 (Buy) for WMT. This describes the data on this page and is not a personal recommendation.
Which has performed better over the past year, COST or WMT?+
WMT has done better: its price rose 13.29% over the past year, while COST rose 7.83%.
Which is cheaper on earnings, COST or WMT?+
WMT has the lower trailing P/E, at 43.44 against 48.33 for COST.
Which pays more income, COST or WMT?+
WMT pays the higher yield at 0.82%, while COST yields 0.57%. Yield is the payout divided by the price, so it moves whenever either of those moves.
Which is riskier, COST or WMT?+
Most of the measures we track point to COST as the riskier of the two. Average daily move: 1.03% for COST, 1.44% for WMT. Beta against the S&P 500: 0.87 for COST, 0.58 for WMT. Worst fall in the price history: 31.4% for COST, 25.7% for WMT.
Which has stronger momentum right now, COST or WMT?+
WMT's 14-day RSI is higher, at 70.2 and overbought, against 69.7 and bullish for COST. The MACD line is positive for both. Readings above 70 or below 30 point to stretched momentum.
Which is the bigger company, COST or WMT?+
WMT is the larger company, worth $957.2B against $445.4B for COST.
What do analysts say about COST and WMT?+
COST has 25 buy ratings out of 40, and its median target sits 6.0% above the price. WMT has 38 buy ratings out of 43, and its median target sits 7.2% above the price.
How would $10,000 have grown in COST or WMT?+
Invested in October 2016, $10,000 would be worth $78,648 today in COST and $61,025 in WMT.