Align Technology, Inc. vs Costco Wholesale Corporation — how do they compare? Align Technology, Inc. trades at $174.27 (market cap $12.29B), while Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $947.66 (market cap $418.79B). The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation is far larger — about 34.1× Align Technology, Inc.'s market cap, and Costco Wholesale Corporation pays a 0.62% dividend while Align Technology, Inc. pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ALGN | COST | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $12.29B | $418.79B |
Sector | Health | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $197.51 | $1.09K |
52-Week Low | $124.88 | $849.63 |
Enterprise Value | $11.30B | $406.93B |
Dividend Yield | — | 0.62% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
ALGN trades at $173.4, down 1.5% today, amid a bearish technical signal. The stock shows strong fundamentals with consistent earnings beats, a P/E of 30.03, and a net income margin of 9.99%. Recent news highlights a patent win in China and strategic initiatives under activist investor engagement, supporting its digital orthodontics leadership.
Outlook remains positive due to solid profitability and growth initiatives, but risks include competitive pressures and scanner segment weakness. Analyst consensus is strongly bullish with 73% buy ratings, viewing current valuation as attractive for long-term growth despite near-term technical headwinds.
Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) trades at $948.43, down 0.45% on the day, with technical indicators signaling a bearish trend amid neutral oscillators. The stock shows strong fundamentals with revenue growth to $275.24 billion in 2025 and consistent earnings beats, though it missed Q1 2026 estimates. Recent news highlights membership fee hikes and robust March sales, while analyst consensus remains bullish with a $1,120 price target.
The outlook for COST is positive due to steady revenue growth and high analyst confidence, but risks include elevated valuation multiples and competitive pressures. Investment opportunity lies in its scalable business model and membership-driven profits, though investors should monitor earnings consistency and macroeconomic impacts on consumer spending.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Align is the leading manufacturer of clear dental aligners globally, having pioneered the technology with the introduction of its Invisalign branded aligners in 1998. Since then, Invisalign has become a household name, having treated over 10 million patients with malocclusion (misaligned teeth) through orthodontist and dentist-guided treatment plans. The company maintains dominant market share of clear aligners, despite the introduction of direct-to-consumer competitors upon the expiration of key patents that began in 2017. Align also manufactures intraoral scanners (iTero), used for orthodontic treatment and restorative dental procedures (digital models for crowns, veneers, and implants).
Read more on ALGN →The leading warehouse club, Costco has 815 stores worldwide (at the end of fiscal 2021), with most sales derived in the United States (72%) and Canada (14%). It sells memberships that allow customers to shop in its warehouses, which feature low prices on a limited product assortment. Costco mainly caters to individual shoppers, but roughly 20% of paid members carry business memberships. Food and sundries accounted for 40% of fiscal 2021 sales, with non-food merchandise 29%, warehouse ancillary and other businesses (such as fuel and pharmacy) nearly 17%, and fresh food 14%. Costco's warehouses average around 146,000 square feet
Read more on COST →