Costco Wholesale Corporation vs Upstart Holdings Inc — how do they compare? Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $921.67 (market cap $408.78B), while Upstart Holdings Inc trades at $31.87 (market cap $3.04B). The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation is far larger — about 134.5× Upstart Holdings Inc's market cap, and Costco Wholesale Corporation pays a 0.64% dividend while Upstart Holdings Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| COST | UPST | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $408.78B | $3.04B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Financials |
52-Week High | $1.09K | $84.13 |
52-Week Low | $849.63 | $24.22 |
Enterprise Value | $396.92B | — |
Dividend Yield | 0.64% | — |
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.
UPST trades at $31.46, down 3.91% on the day, reflecting recent volatility amid mixed earnings. The stock shows a bearish technical trend with support near $29, while fundamentals highlight a return to profitability in 2025 with $1.02B revenue and $53.60M net income. Recent news emphasizes AI lending growth and a key $600M funding deal with Neuberger Berman, though margin pressures persist.
The outlook hinges on execution of AI-driven lending expansion and funding stability, with a consensus price target of $42.00 suggesting 33% upside. Risks include earnings volatility, high debt levels, and competitive fintech pressures. Analyst sentiment is balanced with 45% buy ratings, but investors await Q2 2026 results on August 4 for confirmation of growth trajectory.
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 →Upstart Holdings Inc provides credit services. The company provides a proprietary, cloud-based, artificial intelligence lending platform. The platform aggregates consumer demand for loans and connects it to the network of Upstart AI-enabled bank partners. The revenue of the company is primarily comprised of fees paid by banks.
Read more on UPST →