Costco Wholesale Corporation vs Illinois Tool Works Inc. — how do they compare? Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $943 (market cap $422.52B), while Illinois Tool Works Inc. trades at $293.28 (market cap $83.88B). The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation is far larger — about 5× Illinois Tool Works Inc.'s market cap, and Illinois Tool Works Inc. pays the higher dividend (2.34%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| COST | ITW | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $422.52B | $83.88B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Industrials |
52-Week High | $1.09K | $299.60 |
52-Week Low | $849.63 | $241.07 |
Enterprise Value | $410.66B | $92.73B |
Dividend Yield | 0.62% | 2.34% |
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.
ITW trades at $296.66, up 0.67% with a bullish technical outlook and strong support at $292. The company maintains robust profitability with 19.39% net margins and has beaten earnings estimates for three consecutive quarters. Recent positive developments include a 7% dividend increase and $6 billion share repurchase authorization announced August 7, 2026.
While valuation metrics appear elevated (P/E 26.87, P/B 29.19), ITW's consistent earnings performance and shareholder-friendly actions support upside to the $316 consensus target. Key risks include construction sector exposure and currency headwinds, but operational strength and margin discipline provide stability.
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 →Illinois Tool Works is a diversified global manufacturer that produces specialized industrial equipment, consumables, and related services. The firm operates 87 global divisions through seven distinct operating segments: automotive OEM, construction products, food equipment, specialty products, test/measurement and electronics, polymers and fluids, and welding. About half of its revenue comes from its operations in North America, with the remainder originating from international markets. ITW takes a bottom-up and decentralized approach to portfolio management, with the exception that each segment must apply its 80/20 operating process modeled on the Pareto principle.
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