Costco Wholesale Corporation vs Quest Diagnostics Inc — how do they compare? Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $923.47 (market cap $408.78B), while Quest Diagnostics Inc trades at $204.5 (market cap $22.80B). The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation is far larger — about 17.9× Quest Diagnostics Inc's market cap, and Quest Diagnostics Inc pays the higher dividend (1.67%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| COST | DGX | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $408.78B | $22.80B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Health |
52-Week High | $1.09K | $216.02 |
52-Week Low | $849.63 | $166.42 |
Enterprise Value | $396.92B | $28.82B |
Dividend Yield | 0.64% | 1.67% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) trades at $923.76, down 0.29% on the day, as technical indicators signal a bearish trend with the price near pivot point support. Fundamentally, the company shows consistent revenue growth, reaching $275.24B in 2025, and strong cash flow generation of $13.34B from operations, though valuation metrics like a P/E of 46.37 appear elevated. Recent news highlights a March sales surge of 11.3% year-over-year and the first membership fee increase in seven years, which analysts view positively for future profit growth.
The investment outlook balances strong business fundamentals against a high valuation and near-term technical weakness. Upside potential is supported by robust membership renewal rates, expanding margins, and a consensus price target of $1,120. Key risks include sensitivity to consumer spending, competitive pressures in retail, and the stock's premium valuation requiring sustained execution to justify further gains.
Quest Diagnostics (DGX) trades at $207.35, showing minimal daily movement with a slight decline of 0.04%. The stock maintains a bullish technical stance with recent earnings beats and analyst consensus pointing to upside potential. Recent developments include New York State approval for Haystack MRD testing and strong momentum across diagnostic channels. Revenue growth accelerated to $11.04 billion in 2025 with consistent profitability margins around 9%.
DGX presents a balanced investment case with 38% analyst buy ratings and a $227.75 price target suggesting 10% upside. The company demonstrates steady revenue growth and operational efficiency, though elevated debt levels and policy risks require monitoring. Second quarter earnings on July 23, 2026, will be crucial for validating current momentum and growth trajectory.
Trailing returns across standard periods
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 →Quest Diagnostics is a leading independent provider of diagnostic testing, information, and services in the U.S. The company generates over 95% of its revenue through clinical testing, anatomic pathology, esoteric testing, and substance abuse testing with specimens collected at its national network of roughly 2,300 patient service centers, as well as multiple doctors offices and hospitals. The firm also runs a much smaller diagnostic solutions segment that provides clinical trials testing, risk assessment services, and information technology solutions.
Read more on DGX →