Costco Wholesale Corporation vs F5 Inc — how do they compare? Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $921.69 (market cap $408.78B), while F5 Inc trades at $428.94 (market cap $24.33B). The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation is far larger — about 16.8× F5 Inc's market cap, and Costco Wholesale Corporation pays a 0.64% dividend while F5 Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| COST | FFIV | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $408.78B | $24.33B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Technology |
52-Week High | $1.09K | $431.26 |
52-Week Low | $849.63 | $223.99 |
Enterprise Value | $396.92B | $23.15B |
Dividend Yield | 0.64% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
COST trades at $926.43, up 1.11% today, with a bearish technical signal but strong fundamentals. Revenue grew to $275.24B in 2025, with net income up to $8.10B, and March 2026 sales surged 11.3% year-over-year (Costco report, April 8, 2026). Valuation ratios are elevated, with a P/E of 46.6, while analyst consensus is bullish with a $1,120 price target. Recent membership fee hikes and institutional buying support growth prospects.
Outlook remains positive due to steady revenue growth and high membership renewal rates, but risks include rich valuations and competitive pressures. The stock offers long-term value if pullbacks occur, with earnings momentum key for upside. Bearish technicals suggest near-term caution, though fundamentals underpin investor confidence.
F5 Networks (FFIV) trades at $420.95, down 2.19% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and strong fundamental performance. The company has beaten earnings expectations for three consecutive quarters, with Q1 2026 EPS of $3.90 exceeding the $3.46 estimate. Revenue growth accelerated to $3.09 billion in 2025, while net income margins expanded to 22.42%. Recent strategic moves include expanding AI security capabilities through the SurePath AI acquisition and new executive appointments.
FFIV presents a mixed outlook with strong operational execution offset by premium valuations. The stock trades above analyst consensus target of $397, though institutional sentiment remains positive with 40% buy ratings. Key risks include competitive pressures in cybersecurity and execution challenges in AI integration. Earnings growth and margin expansion remain the primary catalysts for further upside potential.
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 →F5 is a market leader in the application delivery controller market. The company sells products for networking traffic, security, and policy management. Its products ensure applications are safely routed in efficient manners within on-premises data centers and across cloud environments. More than half of its revenue is based on providing services, and its three customer verticals are enterprises, service providers, and government entities. The Seattle-based firm was incorporated in 1996 and generates sales globally.
Read more on FFIV →