Costco Wholesale Corporation vs MPLX LP — how do they compare? Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $923.76 (market cap $408.78B), while MPLX LP trades at $56.48 (market cap $57.34B). The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation is far larger — about 7.1× MPLX LP's market cap, and MPLX LP pays the higher dividend (7.62%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| COST | MPLX | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $408.78B | $57.34B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Technology |
52-Week High | $1.09K | $59.17 |
52-Week Low | $849.63 | $47.80 |
Enterprise Value | $396.92B | $81.97B |
Dividend Yield | 0.64% | 7.62% |
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.
MPLX trades at $57.21, up 0.46% today, with a bullish technical outlook supported by moving averages and a consensus price target of $60.60. The company reported strong profitability with a 41.24% net income margin and robust cash flow from operations of $5.91B in 2025. Recent earnings showed beats in Q3 and Q4 2025 but a miss in Q1 2026, with Q2 2026 results pending. A dividend of $1.08 was declared for H1-26, reinforcing income appeal.
The stock presents a compelling value with a P/E of 12.23 and high analyst buy consensus (71.43%), though risks include earnings volatility and high debt-to-asset ratio of 90.06%. Upside is supported by stable midstream operations and Permian Basin exposure, but investors should monitor Q2 2026 earnings for growth sustainability.
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 →MPLX LP is a Master Limited Partnership (MLP) formed by Marathon Petroleum Corporation (MPC). It is a diversified, growth-oriented company primarily engaged in the gathering, processing, and transportation of natural gas and natural gas liquids (NGLs), as well as the transportation, storage, and distribution of crude oil and refined petroleum products. MPLX owns and operates a network of midstream energy infrastructure assets, providing essential services to the energy industry across the United States.
Read more on MPLX →