Costco Wholesale Corporation vs iShares MSCI United Kingdom (FTSE) — how do they compare? Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $924.74 (market cap $408.78B), while iShares MSCI United Kingdom (FTSE) trades at $46.78. The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation pays a 0.64% dividend while iShares MSCI United Kingdom (FTSE) pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| COST | EWU | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $408.78B | — |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Broad Market / Factor |
52-Week High | $1.09K | $48.68 |
52-Week Low | $849.63 | $39.59 |
Enterprise Value | $396.92B | — |
Dividend Yield | 0.64% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Costco (COST) trades at $923.9, down 0.27% with bearish technical signals but strong fundamentals. The stock shows consistent revenue growth, reaching $275.24B in 2025 with net income of $8.10B. Recent March sales surged 11.3% year-over-year to $28.41B, indicating robust business momentum. Analyst consensus remains strongly bullish with 65.5% buy ratings and a $1,120 price target, though valuation metrics appear elevated with P/E at 46.37.
The investment case balances premium valuation against exceptional operational execution. Membership fee increases and expanding warehouse network drive profitability, but high P/E ratio requires sustained growth. Key risks include competitive pressure and economic sensitivity, while institutional accumulation supports long-term confidence.
EWU, the iShares MSCI United Kingdom ETF, trades at $46.36, down 0.52% on the day, with technical indicators showing a neutral to bearish bias. The ETF's performance is heavily influenced by UK economic conditions and political developments, including recent leadership changes. Key holdings in financials, consumer staples, and healthcare drive its NAV, with the top 10 holdings comprising over half of the portfolio.
Outlook remains cautious due to UK political instability and economic headwinds, though potential exists from M&A activity and valuation discounts. Risks include sterling volatility and fiscal constraints. Analyst sentiment is mixed, reflecting uncertainty over near-term catalysts.
Trailing returns across standard periods
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 →EWU is a country-specific ETF that tracks the performance of the United Kingdom equity market. It provides exposure to large and mid-sized UK companies, with significant weightings in financials, energy, and healthcare, including Shell, AstraZeneca, and HSBC.
Read more on EWU →