Costco Wholesale Corporation vs Novartis AG — how do they compare? Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $921.54 (market cap $408.78B), while Novartis AG trades at $151.36 (market cap $288.65B). The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation is the larger of the two by market cap, and Novartis AG pays the higher dividend (3.15%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| COST | NVS | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $408.78B | $288.65B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Health |
52-Week High | $1.09K | $168.62 |
52-Week Low | $849.63 | $113.50 |
Enterprise Value | $396.92B | $328.67B |
Dividend Yield | 0.64% | 3.15% |
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.
Novartis (NVS) trades at $153.37, down 0.44% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages. The company reported $56.67B revenue in 2025 with strong profitability margins (net income margin 23.92%) and recently expanded its oncology pipeline through acquisitions like Myricx Bio. Earnings have been mixed, with a miss in Q1 2026 but a beat in Q4 2025.
Outlook remains stable with revenue projections near $56.6B for 2026, though debt-to-asset ratio has risen to 30.26%. Risks include pipeline execution and competitive pressures. Analysts show cautious optimism with 68% hold ratings, reflecting balanced growth and valuation concerns.
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 →Novartis develops and manufactures healthcare products through two segments: Innovative Medicines and Sandoz. It generates the vast majority of its revenue from Innovative Medicines segment consisting global business franchises in oncology, ophthalmology, neuroscience, immunology, respiratory, cardio-metabolic, and established medicines. The company sells its products globally, with the United States representing close to one third of total revenue.
Read more on NVS →