Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc vs Costco Wholesale Corporation — how do they compare? Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc trades at $48.5 (market cap $8.32B), while Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $942 (market cap $422.52B). The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation is far larger — about 50.8× Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc's market cap, and Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc pays the higher dividend (5.96%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| ARE | COST | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $8.32B | $422.52B |
Sector | Real Estate | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $87.45 | $1.09K |
52-Week Low | $40.41 | $849.63 |
Enterprise Value | $21.02B | $410.66B |
Dividend Yield | 5.96% | 0.62% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Alexandria Real Estate Equities (ARE) trades at $49.74, up 2.6% on the day, yet technical indicators signal a bearish trend with support near $47. The stock shows mixed fundamentals: a high P/E of 102.99 and negative net income margin of -37.12% contrast with strong FFO beats and a dividend payout. Recent Q2 2026 earnings missed on EPS but beat on FFO, with leasing momentum improving. Analyst consensus is a 'Hold' with a $53.71 price target, indicating modest upside potential amid operational challenges.
Outlook remains cautious due to persistent net losses and high debt, though leasing recovery and institutional interest offer hope. Risks include occupancy pressures and macroeconomic headwinds, but the current discount to book value (P/B 0.55) may attract value investors if operational trends stabilize.
Costco (COST) trades at $952.75, up 0.52% with neutral technical signals. The company shows steady revenue growth, reaching $275.24B in 2025, and maintains strong profitability with a 3.01% net margin. Recent earnings beat expectations in Q3 and Q4 2025 but missed in Q1 2026. Analyst sentiment remains bullish with 65.52% buy ratings and a $1,120 consensus price target, while institutional buying activity continues.
Costco's outlook is positive due to membership fee growth and expansion, though high valuation multiples (P/E 47.93) pose risks. Key opportunities include consistent cash flow generation and market share gains, while risks involve competitive pressures and economic sensitivity. The stock offers long-term growth potential but requires monitoring of valuation metrics.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Alexandria Real Estate Equities Inc is an urban office real estate investment trust (REIT). It is engaged in the business of providing space for lease to life science, agtech, and technology tenants. The company has established a significant market presence in key locations, including Greater Boston, the San Francisco Bay Area, New York City, San Diego, Seattle, Maryland, and Research Triangle. Alexandria has a longstanding and proven track record of developing Class A properties clustered in urban life science, agtech, and technology campuses that provide tenants with highly dynamic and collaborative environments. Alexandria also provides strategic capital to transformative life science, agtech, and technology companies through venture capital platform.
Read more on ARE →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 →