Costco Wholesale Corporation vs Hormel Foods Corp — how do they compare? Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $949.3 (market cap $418.79B), while Hormel Foods Corp trades at $24.26 (market cap $13.37B). The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation is far larger — about 31.3× Hormel Foods Corp's market cap, and Hormel Foods Corp pays the higher dividend (4.81%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| COST | HRL | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $418.79B | $13.37B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $1.09K | $29.25 |
52-Week Low | $849.63 | $19.74 |
Enterprise Value | $406.93B | $15.37B |
Dividend Yield | 0.62% | 4.81% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) trades at $948.1, down 0.49% on the day, with a bearish technical signal from moving averages but neutral oscillators. The company reported strong revenue growth to $275.24B in 2025 and net income of $8.10B, though it missed Q1 2026 EPS estimates. Recent news highlights March sales up 11.3% year-over-year and institutional buying activity, while the stock remains near its 52-week high of $1,067.08.
Outlook is supported by robust membership fee growth and expansion, but high valuation ratios like a P/E of 47.5 pose risks. Analyst consensus is bullish with a $1,120 price target, though competitive pressures and economic sensitivity could challenge margins. The stock offers long-term growth potential if valuation aligns with earnings momentum.
Hormel Foods (HRL) trades at $24.705, down 1.26% on the day, with a bearish technical signal and neutral oscillators. The company reported Q2 2026 EPS of $0.40, beating expectations, but net income margin declined to 3.82% in 2025. Recent news includes the appointment of John Ghingo as CEO and the sale of its Brazilian CERATTI business, signaling strategic refocusing.
Outlook is mixed: strong dividend yield and consistent earnings beats support income investors, but margin pressures and bearish technicals pose near-term risks. Analyst consensus is 'Hold' with a $26.33 price target, suggesting limited upside. Macroeconomic headwinds in consumer staples may challenge growth.
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 →Hormel Foods is a protein-focused branded food company. Its brands include its namesake Hormel, Spam, Jennie-O, Dinty Moore, Applegate, Wholly Guacamole, and Skippy. The vast majority of the company's revenue is U.S.-based: 64% U.S. retail, 28% U.S. food service, and 8% international. By product type, in fiscal 2021, 23% of revenue was shelf-stable foods, 18% was poultry (branded and commodity), 55% was other perishable food, and 3% was other, primarily nutritional products. The company holds the number-one market position in shelf-stable meat, shelf-stable ready meals, pepperoni, natural/organic deli meat, and guacamole and the number-two position in turkey, bacon, chilled ready meals, and peanut butter.
Read more on HRL →