Costco Wholesale Corporation vs Estee Lauder Companies Inc — how do they compare? Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $946.89 (market cap $420.05B), while Estee Lauder Companies Inc trades at $97.72 (market cap $34.17B). The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation is far larger — about 12.3× Estee Lauder Companies Inc's market cap, and Estee Lauder Companies Inc pays the higher dividend (1.48%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold Costco Wholesale Corporation for 133 Days and Estee Lauder Companies Inc for 122 Days on average.
| COST | EL | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $420.05B | $34.17B |
Volume | 2,087,565 | 3,921,497 |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $1.09K | $119.61 |
52-Week Low | $849.63 | $67.23 |
Typical Hold Time | 133 Days | 122 Days |
Enterprise Value | $407.33B | $39.92B |
Dividend Yield | 0.62% | 1.48% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
COST trades at $944.20, up 0.21% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages but overbought RSI readings. The company reported strong March 2026 sales growth of 11.3% year-over-year (Costco Wholesale Corporation, April 8, 2026) and has shown consistent revenue and net income growth, with fiscal 2025 revenue at $275.24B and net income at $8.10B. Analyst consensus is strongly bullish with a $1,100 price target, though valuation ratios like a P/E of 45.66 are elevated.
The outlook remains positive due to robust membership fee growth and expansion, but risks include high valuation sensitivity and competitive pressures. Upside is supported by strong institutional buying and earnings beats, though any market pullback could pressure the stock given its premium multiples.
Estée Lauder (EL) trades at $97.81, up 3.56% with recent earnings beats but faces fundamental challenges including a net loss of $1.13B in 2025. The stock shows neutral technical signals with support at $90 and resistance at $98, while analyst consensus remains positive with a $103 price target. Recent developments include AI partnerships and leadership changes aimed at revitalizing the brand.
The outlook hinges on margin recovery and revenue stabilization, with 2026 projections showing a return to profitability. Key risks include competitive pressures and execution of turnaround strategy, but institutional sentiment remains cautiously optimistic given the company's strong brand portfolio and digital initiatives.
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Latest headlines on both assets
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 →Estee Lauder is the world leader in the global prestige beauty market, participating across skincare (56% of fiscal 2022 sales), makeup (26%), fragrance (14%), and haircare (4%) categories, with popular brands such as Estee Lauder, Clinique, MAC, La Mer, Jo Malone, Aveda, Bobbi Brown, Too Faced, Origins, Dr. Jart+, and The Ordinary. The firm operates in 150 countries, with 26% of fiscal 2022 revenue stemming from the Americas, 43% from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, and 31% from Asia-Pacific. The company sells its products through department stores, travel retail, multi-brand specialty beauty stores, brand-dedicated freestanding stores, e-commerce, salons/spas, and perfumeries.
Read more on EL →