Costco Wholesale Corporation vs Novartis AG — how do they compare? Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $938.8 (market cap $418.79B), while Novartis AG trades at $152.77 (market cap $295.37B). The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation is the larger of the two by market cap, and Novartis AG pays the higher dividend (3.07%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| COST | NVS | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $418.79B | $295.37B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Health |
52-Week High | $1.09K | $168.62 |
52-Week Low | $849.63 | $119.31 |
Enterprise Value | $406.93B | $336.69B |
Dividend Yield | 0.62% | 3.07% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
COST trades at $952.75, up 0.52% today, with a neutral technical signal. The stock shows strong fundamentals, including revenue growth to $275.24B in 2025 and consistent earnings beats, though Q1 2026 missed estimates. Positive sentiment is driven by a 65.52% analyst buy rating and a consensus price target of $1,120. Recent news highlights membership fee hikes and robust March sales, supporting investor confidence.
Outlook remains favorable due to steady growth and high institutional ownership, but risks include elevated valuation (P/E 47.5) and competitive pressures. The stock offers long-term potential if earnings momentum continues, though near-term volatility may persist amid market fluctuations.
Novartis AG (NVS) trades at $156.79, up 0.29% today, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and recent Q2 2026 earnings beating estimates. Strong profitability is evident with a 74.74% gross margin and 22.5% net margin, while revenue grew to $56.67B in 2025. The stock faces resistance near $157, with support at $156.
The outlook is positive due to robust drug pipeline progress and reaffirmed 2026 guidance, though risks include generic competition for Entresto and pricing pressures. Analyst sentiment is mixed with 24% buy ratings, but institutional buying activity supports confidence in long-term growth.
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 →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 →