Costco Wholesale Corporation vs Kimberly Clark Corp — how do they compare? Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $924.5 (market cap $408.78B), while Kimberly Clark Corp trades at $107.28 (market cap $35.46B). The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation is far larger — about 11.5× Kimberly Clark Corp's market cap, and Kimberly Clark Corp pays the higher dividend (4.79%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| COST | KMB | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $408.78B | $35.46B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $1.09K | $136.77 |
52-Week Low | $849.63 | $93.05 |
Enterprise Value | $396.92B | $42.00B |
Dividend Yield | 0.64% | 4.79% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Costco (COST) trades at $923.9, down 0.27% with bearish technical signals but strong fundamentals. The stock shows consistent revenue growth, reaching $275.24B in 2025 with net income of $8.10B. Recent March sales surged 11.3% year-over-year to $28.41B, indicating robust business momentum. Analyst consensus remains strongly bullish with 65.5% buy ratings and a $1,120 price target, though valuation metrics appear elevated with P/E at 46.37.
The investment case balances premium valuation against exceptional operational execution. Membership fee increases and expanding warehouse network drive profitability, but high P/E ratio requires sustained growth. Key risks include competitive pressure and economic sensitivity, while institutional accumulation supports long-term confidence.
Kimberly-Clark (KMB) trades at $110.18, down 1.98% on the day, with strong technical support at $108 and resistance at $114. The company demonstrates solid fundamentals with Q1 2026 EPS beating expectations at $1.97 versus $1.93, maintaining a consistent earnings beat streak. Recent business developments include the Arbex joint venture launch and pending Kenvue acquisition, positioning for strategic growth in the consumer goods sector.
KMB offers stable dividend income with a 4.5% yield and strong profitability metrics (12.8% net margin, 146.29% ROE), though elevated P/E (21.31) and P/B (20.36) ratios suggest premium valuation. Risks include consumer sentiment pressures and input cost inflation, but analyst consensus targets $112.33 with 32% buy ratings supporting moderate upside potential from current levels.
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 →With around half of sales from personal care and another third from tissue products, Kimberly-Clark sits as a leading manufacturer of tissue and hygiene realm. Its brand mix includes Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex, Depend, Kleenex, and Cottonelle. The firm also operates K-C Professional, which partners with businesses to provide safety and sanitary products for the workplace. Kimberly-Clark generates just over of half its sales in North America and more than 10% in Europe, with the rest primarily concentrated in Asia and Latin America.
Read more on KMB →