Costco Wholesale Corporation vs Five Below Inc — how do they compare? Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $942.03 (market cap $422.52B), while Five Below Inc trades at $236.42 (market cap $13.01B). The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation is far larger — about 32.5× Five Below Inc's market cap, and Costco Wholesale Corporation pays a 0.62% dividend while Five Below Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| COST | FIVE | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $422.52B | $13.01B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $1.09K | $247.71 |
52-Week Low | $849.63 | $131.94 |
Enterprise Value | $410.66B | $13.90B |
Dividend Yield | 0.62% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) trades at $941.66, down 0.65% on the day, with technical indicators showing a neutral bias. The company reported strong March sales growth of 11.3% year-over-year, reaching $28.41 billion, while maintaining consistent revenue and earnings growth trends. Analyst consensus remains strongly bullish with 65.5% buy ratings and a $1,120 price target, though valuation metrics appear elevated with a P/E of 47.93.
Costco's membership fee-driven business model provides stable revenue streams, but the stock faces valuation concerns at current levels. The company's expansion strategy and strong competitive position support long-term growth, though investors should monitor execution risks and potential market volatility. The recent membership fee increase and strong renewal rates provide positive catalysts for future earnings growth.
Five Below (FIVE) is trading at $244.37, up 5.73% with strong bullish momentum. The stock shows consistent earnings beats, with Q1 2026 EPS of $2.22 exceeding expectations of $1.77. Technical indicators signal bullish sentiment, supported by positive moving averages. Revenue growth remains solid, projected to reach $5.1B in 2026, though net margins have compressed from 9.78% in 2022 to 6.54% in 2025. Analyst consensus is strongly bullish with 62% buy ratings and a $252.36 price target.
FIVE presents a compelling growth story with expanding revenue and strong institutional support. However, elevated valuation multiples (P/E 30.79) and compressed profit margins pose risks. The stock's proximity to 52-week highs suggests limited near-term upside without significant catalysts. Execution on store expansion and margin improvement will be critical for sustained outperformance.
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 →Five Below is a value-oriented retailer that operated 1,190 stores in the United States as of the end of fiscal 2021. Catering to teen and preteen consumers, stores feature a wide variety of merchandise, the vast majority of which is priced below $6. The assortment focuses on discretionary items in several categories, particularly leisure (such as sporting goods, toys, and electronics
Read more on FIVE →