Costco Wholesale Corporation vs Wendys Co — how do they compare? Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $922.28 (market cap $408.78B), while Wendys Co trades at $7.43 (market cap $1.41B). The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation is far larger — about 289.9× Wendys Co's market cap, and Wendys Co pays the higher dividend (7.55%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| COST | WEN | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $408.78B | $1.41B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $1.09K | $11.33 |
52-Week Low | $849.63 | $6.17 |
Enterprise Value | $396.92B | $5.23B |
Dividend Yield | 0.64% | 7.55% |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
COST trades at $926.43, up 1.11% over 24h, with a bearish technical signal but strong fundamentals. Revenue grew to $275.24B in 2025, with net income of $8.10B, though Q1 2026 EPS missed expectations. The stock's valuation is elevated with a P/E of 46.37, while analyst consensus remains bullish with a $1,120 price target. Recent news highlights membership fee hikes and March sales growth of 11.3% year-over-year, indicating resilient consumer demand.
Outlook is mixed: robust membership model and sales trends support growth, but high valuation and technical bearishness pose near-term risks. Investors should weigh strong cash flow and analyst optimism against potential pullbacks from current levels. Key risks include competitive pressures and macroeconomic sensitivity, though institutional buying signals confidence.
Wendy's (WEN) trades at $7.50, down 0.66% on the day, with a bullish technical signal and recent meme-driven momentum. The stock shows strong valuation metrics with a P/E of 9.74 and P/S of 0.65, but faces declining net income margins, falling to 7.58% in 2025. Recent earnings beats and a 7.1% dividend yield attract income investors, while Project Fresh initiatives aim to counter traffic and cost pressures.
Outlook remains mixed: low valuation and retail enthusiasm offer upside, but margin compression and high debt pose risks. Analyst consensus is cautious with a $7.96 price target, suggesting limited near-term growth. Key catalysts include Q2 2026 results on August 7 and international expansion progress, though competitive and inflationary headwinds persist.
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 →The Wendy's Company is the second-largest burger quick-service restaurant, or QSR, chain in the United States by systemwide sales, with $11.1 billion in 2021, narrowly edging Burger King ($10.3 billion) and clocking in well behind wide-moat McDonald's ($45.7 billion). After divestitures of Tim Hortons (2006) and Arby's (2011), the firm manages just the burger banner, generating sales across a footprint that spans almost 7,000 total units in 30 countries. Wendy's generates revenue from the sale of hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, salads, and fries throughout its company-owned footprint, through franchise royalty and marketing fund payments remitted by its franchisees, which account for 94% of stores, and through franchise flipping and advisory fees.
Read more on WEN →