Costco Wholesale Corporation vs F5 Inc — how do they compare? Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $943 (market cap $422.52B), while F5 Inc trades at $415.62 (market cap $23.22B). The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation is far larger — about 18.2× F5 Inc's market cap, and Costco Wholesale Corporation pays a 0.62% dividend while F5 Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| COST | FFIV | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $422.52B | $23.22B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Technology |
52-Week High | $1.09K | $431.26 |
52-Week Low | $849.63 | $223.99 |
Enterprise Value | $410.66B | $21.86B |
Dividend Yield | 0.62% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Costco (COST) trades at $952.75, up 0.52% with a neutral technical outlook. The stock shows strong fundamentals with revenue growth from $254.5B in 2024 to $275.2B in 2025 and net income reaching $8.1B. Recent March sales surged 11.3% year-over-year to $28.41B. Valuation metrics remain elevated with P/E at 47.93 and P/S at 1.44. Analyst consensus is strongly bullish with 65.5% buy ratings and a $1,120 price target.
The investment case centers on Costco's membership-driven profit engine and consistent execution, though high valuation presents near-term risk. Upside potential exists if the company maintains its premium growth trajectory, while any earnings disappointment could trigger valuation compression. The recent membership fee increase and strong renewal rates support margin expansion prospects.
F5 (FFIV) trades at $400.23, down 3.11% on the day, with a bearish technical signal from moving averages but neutral oscillators. The company reported strong Q3 2026 earnings, beating estimates with EPS of $4.73 versus $4.00 expected, and raised its fiscal outlook, driven by 19% product revenue growth. Fundamentals show robust profitability with a net income margin of 21.95% and consistent revenue growth, though valuation ratios like a P/E of 31.89 appear elevated. Analyst sentiment is mixed with a 40% buy rating.
The outlook is cautiously optimistic given earnings momentum and raised guidance, but risks include high valuation and competitive pressures. The consensus price target of $430.43 suggests modest upside potential from current levels, contingent on sustained execution in application security and hybrid cloud demand.
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 →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 →