Costco Wholesale Corporation vs Williams Companies Inc — how do they compare? Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $924.5 (market cap $408.78B), while Williams Companies Inc trades at $75.25 (market cap $92.92B). The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation is far larger — about 4.4× Williams Companies Inc's market cap, and Williams Companies Inc pays the higher dividend (2.76%). Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| COST | WMB | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $408.78B | $92.92B |
Sector | Consumer Staples | Energy |
52-Week High | $1.09K | $79.40 |
52-Week Low | $849.63 | $56.51 |
Enterprise Value | $396.92B | $122.31B |
Dividend Yield | 0.64% | 2.76% |
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.
Williams Companies (WMB) trades at $74.46, down 0.75% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and strong analyst support. The company reported revenue of $11.95 billion in 2025 with a net income margin of 23.4%, and recent news highlights a $5.34 billion Blackstone-led investment to accelerate power projects. Valuation ratios include a P/E of 32.66 and P/B of 7.03, reflecting premium pricing relative to historical levels.
WMB presents a positive outlook with a consensus price target of $85.67, indicating 15% upside potential, supported by stable cash flows and strategic investments in energy infrastructure. Risks include exposure to natural gas price volatility and high debt levels, but the company's fee-based contracts and growth initiatives provide a buffer against market swings.
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 →Williams is a midstream energy company that owns and operates the large Transco and Northwest pipeline systems and associated natural gas gathering, processing, and storage assets. In August 2018, the firm acquired the remaining 26% ownership of its limited partner, Williams Partners.
Read more on WMB →