Costco Wholesale Corporation vs Lockheed Martin Corporation — how do they compare? Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $922.68 (market cap $408.78B), while Lockheed Martin Corporation trades at $515.73 (market cap $118.74B). The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation is far larger — about 3.4× Lockheed Martin Corporation's market cap, and Lockheed Martin Corporation pays the higher dividend (2.68%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| COST | LMT | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $408.78B | $118.74B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Industrials |
52-Week High | $1.09K | $676.70 |
52-Week Low | $849.63 | $410.74 |
Enterprise Value | $396.92B | $137.54B |
Dividend Yield | 0.64% | 2.68% |
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.
Lockheed Martin (LMT) trades at $520.68, down 0.49% on the day, with a bearish technical signal and mixed earnings history. The company reported $75.05B in 2025 revenue and a net income margin of 6.38%, while maintaining a $194B backlog as of Q4 2025 (24/7 Wall Street, 2026-07-13). Analyst consensus is bullish with a $614 price target, supported by strong defense spending trends.
Outlook remains positive due to robust demand from global defense budgets, but risks include execution challenges and margin pressure. The stock offers value with a P/E of 25.21 and dividend yield near 2.66%, though recent EPS misses warrant caution. Institutional sentiment favors long-term growth amid geopolitical tensions.
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 →Lockheed Martin is the largest defense contractor globally and has dominated the Western market for high-end fighter aircraft since the F-35 program was awarded in 2001. Lockheed's largest segment is aeronautics, which is dominated by the massive F-35 program. Lockheed's remaining segments are rotary and mission systems, which is mainly the Sikorsky helicopter business.
Read more on LMT →