Costco Wholesale Corporation vs Lowe`s Companies Inc — how do they compare? Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $921.56 (market cap $408.78B), while Lowe`s Companies Inc trades at $208.05 (market cap $116.45B). The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation is far larger — about 3.5× Lowe`s Companies Inc's market cap, and Lowe`s Companies Inc pays the higher dividend (2.41%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| COST | LOW | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $408.78B | $116.45B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $1.09K | $287.39 |
52-Week Low | $849.63 | $206.62 |
Enterprise Value | $396.92B | $158.20B |
Dividend Yield | 0.64% | 2.41% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
COST trades at $926.43, up 1.11% today, with a bearish technical signal but strong fundamentals. Revenue grew to $275.24B in 2025, with net income up to $8.10B, and March 2026 sales surged 11.3% year-over-year (Costco report, April 8, 2026). Valuation ratios are elevated, with a P/E of 46.6, while analyst consensus is bullish with a $1,120 price target. Recent membership fee hikes and institutional buying support growth prospects.
Outlook remains positive due to steady revenue growth and high membership renewal rates, but risks include rich valuations and competitive pressures. The stock offers long-term value if pullbacks occur, with earnings momentum key for upside. Bearish technicals suggest near-term caution, though fundamentals underpin investor confidence.
Lowe's (LOW) trades at $207.70, down 1.86% on the day, with a bearish technical signal from moving averages but oversold short-term RSI. The company maintains solid profitability with a 7.51% net margin and has beaten EPS estimates for three consecutive quarters. Revenue declined to $83.67B in 2025, though cash flow from operations improved to $9.63B. Recent news highlights Lowe's dividend growth strategy, with the quarterly payout rising to $1.25.
The outlook is mixed: strong analyst consensus (60.79% buy ratings) and a $260.88 price target suggest upside, but technical weakness and high debt levels pose risks. Earnings stability and dividend growth support long-term value, though housing market sensitivity and competitive pressures remain headwinds.
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 →Lowe's is the second-largest home improvement retailer in the world, operating 1,969 stores and servicing around 230 dealer-owned stores throughout the United States and Canada. The firm's stores offer products and services for home decorating, maintenance, repair, and remodeling, with maintenance and repair accounting for two thirds of products sold. Lowe's targets retail do-it-yourself (around 75% of sales) and do-it-for-me customers as well as commercial and professional business clients (around 25% of sales). We estimate Lowe's captures a low-double-digit share of the domestic home improvement market, based on U.S. Census data and management's estimates for market size.
Read more on LOW →