Costco Wholesale Corporation vs International Business Machines Corp — how do they compare? Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $940.19 (market cap $418.79B), while International Business Machines Corp trades at $235.5 (market cap $224.62B). The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation is the larger of the two by market cap, and International Business Machines Corp pays the higher dividend (2.84%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| COST | IBM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $418.79B | $224.62B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Technology |
52-Week High | $1.09K | $329.23 |
52-Week Low | $849.63 | $205.77 |
Enterprise Value | $406.93B | $281.76B |
Dividend Yield | 0.62% | 2.84% |
Volume | — | 4,481,527 |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
COST trades at $952.75, up 0.52% today, with a neutral technical signal. The stock shows strong fundamentals, including revenue growth to $275.24B in 2025 and consistent earnings beats, though Q1 2026 missed estimates. Positive sentiment is driven by a 65.52% analyst buy rating and a consensus price target of $1,120. Recent news highlights membership fee hikes and robust March sales, supporting investor confidence.
Outlook remains favorable due to steady growth and high institutional ownership, but risks include elevated valuation (P/E 47.5) and competitive pressures. The stock offers long-term potential if earnings momentum continues, though near-term volatility may persist amid market fluctuations.
IBM trades at $236.31, down 0.41% today, with a mixed technical picture showing bearish moving averages but bullish overall signals. Recent earnings beat expectations in Q4 2025 and Q1 2026, with Q2 2026 meeting estimates, while revenue grew to $67.54 billion in 2025. The company secured a $240 million AI deal with Together AI, boosting sentiment despite ongoing securities fraud investigations.
Outlook: IBM's strong profitability and AI growth present upside potential, but legal risks and high valuation ratios pose challenges. The consensus price target of $257.38 suggests moderate growth, supported by institutional buy ratings, though investors should monitor legal developments and competitive pressures in the tech sector.
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 →International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) provides computer solutions. The Company offers application, technology consulting and support, process design and operations, cloud, digital workplace, and network services, as well as business resiliency, strategy, and design solutions. IBM serves clients worldwide.
Read more on IBM →