Costco Wholesale Corporation vs S&P500 ETF — how do they compare? Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $924.5 (market cap $408.78B), while S&P500 ETF trades at $753.47. The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation pays a 0.64% dividend while S&P500 ETF pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| COST | SPY | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $408.78B | — |
Sector | Consumer Staples | — |
52-Week High | $1.09K | $759.55 |
52-Week Low | $849.63 | $621.75 |
Enterprise Value | $396.92B | — |
Dividend Yield | 0.64% | — |
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.
SPY trades at $749.08, down 0.77% on the day, with technical indicators showing a bullish bias from moving averages while oscillators remain neutral. The ETF approaches key resistance at $750 with support at $747. Recent news highlights analyst optimism with several firms projecting S&P 500 targets above 8,000 by year-end, though earnings season and inflation data remain key catalysts.
Outlook remains constructive given strong institutional sentiment and historical market performance, though risks include potential Fed policy shifts and valuation concerns. The dividend payment scheduled for July 31, 2026 provides income support, while technical consolidation near all-time highs suggests potential for breakout momentum if earnings deliver.
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 →The ETF is designed to track the performance of the securities and the stocks in the S&P 500 Index. To maintain the composition and weightings, the advisor adjusts the ETF from time to time to conform to periodic changes in the index target.
Read more on SPY →