Costco Wholesale Corporation vs Genuine Parts Company — how do they compare? Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $921.25 (market cap $408.78B), while Genuine Parts Company trades at $122.3 (market cap $16.81B). The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation is far larger — about 24.3× Genuine Parts Company's market cap, and Genuine Parts Company pays the higher dividend (3.48%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| COST | GPC | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $408.78B | $16.81B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $1.09K | $149.26 |
52-Week Low | $849.63 | $92.47 |
Enterprise Value | $396.92B | $23.03B |
Dividend Yield | 0.64% | 3.48% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Costco (COST) trades at $926.43, up 1.11% with strong fundamentals including 11.3% March sales growth and consistent earnings beats. The stock faces technical headwinds with bearish moving averages but maintains solid profitability with $8.1B net income and expanding margins. Recent membership fee increases and warehouse expansion support long-term growth, though high valuation multiples present near-term pressure.
Outlook remains positive with analyst consensus at $1,120 price target (65% buy ratings), but investors should monitor valuation sustainability amid technical weakness. Key risks include competitive pressures and economic sensitivity, while institutional accumulation and strong cash flow generation provide fundamental support.
GPC trades at $123.52, down 1.67% over the past day, with technical indicators showing a bullish trend supported by moving averages. The company reported mixed quarterly earnings, missing estimates in Q3 and Q4 2025 but beating in Q1 2026, with Q2 2026 results expected on July 21, 2026. Revenue growth remains modest at $24.3B in 2025, though net income margins have compressed significantly to 0.24%. Analyst sentiment is mixed with a consensus price target of $133.00, representing a 7.7% upside from current levels.
GPC offers potential for moderate upside based on analyst targets and dividend stability, but faces headwinds from declining profitability margins and recent earnings misses. The stock's high P/E ratio of 280.73 suggests premium valuation despite weak earnings growth, while strong cash flow generation and Dividend King status provide some downside protection. Key risks include margin pressure and competitive threats in the automotive parts distribution sector.
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 →Genuine Parts sells automotive parts (about two thirds of net sales) and industrial components. The company sells vehicle parts to commercial and retail customers through roughly 9,700 stores worldwide, most of which are independently owned. Its industrial unit, primarily operating under the Motion Industries banner in the United States, supplies bearings, power transmission, industrial automation, hydraulic, and pneumatic components to maintenance, repair, and OEM clients.
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