Costco Wholesale Corporation vs Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd. — how do they compare? Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $921 (market cap $408.78B), while Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd. trades at $417.96 (market cap $1.96T). The key difference: Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd. is far larger — about 4.8× Costco Wholesale Corporation's market cap, and Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg. Co. Ltd. pays the higher dividend (0.9%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| COST | TSM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $408.78B | $1.96T |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Technology |
52-Week High | $1.09K | $477.57 |
52-Week Low | $849.63 | $227.33 |
Enterprise Value | $396.92B | $1.89T |
Dividend Yield | 0.64% | 0.9% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Costco (COST) trades at $921.73, down 0.51% on the day, with a bearish technical signal but strong fundamental growth. Revenue reached $275.24B in 2025 with net income of $8.10B, and March 2026 sales grew 11.3% year-over-year. The stock carries premium valuations (P/E 46.37, P/S 1.4) while maintaining steady margin expansion. Analyst consensus remains strongly bullish with a $1,120 price target, though recent earnings miss in Q1 2026 highlights execution risks amid high expectations.
Outlook: Costco's membership fee increase and warehouse expansion support long-term growth, but elevated valuation requires flawless execution. Risks include competitive pressures and macroeconomic sensitivity. Institutional accumulation continues, with 65% analyst buy ratings signaling confidence in the company's resilient business model and cash flow generation.
TSM trades at $421.58, down 2.89% on the day, with a bearish technical signal but strong fundamentals. The stock has consistently beaten earnings estimates in recent quarters, with Q2 2026 results expected soon. Revenue grew to $3.81 trillion in 2025, with a net income margin of 46.5%. Analysts maintain a strong buy consensus with a $493.75 price target, citing AI-driven demand.
Outlook remains positive due to robust AI chip demand and earnings momentum, but risks include geopolitical tensions and high valuation multiples. The stock offers growth potential with support from institutional sentiment, though near-term volatility may persist around earnings.
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 →Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, or TSMC, is the world's largest dedicated chip foundry, with over 57% market share in 2021 per Gartner. TSMC was founded in 1987 as a joint venture of Philips, the government of Taiwan, and private investors. It went public as an ADR in the U.S. in 1997. TSMC's scale and high-quality technology allow the firm to generate solid operating margins, even in the highly competitive foundry business. Furthermore, the shift to the fabless business model has created tailwinds for TSMC. The foundry leader has an illustrious customer base, including Apple, AMD and Nvidia, that looks to apply cutting-edge process technologies to its semiconductor designs.
Read more on TSM →