Costco Wholesale Corporation vs Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund — how do they compare? Costco Wholesale Corporation trades at $950.69 (market cap $418.79B), while Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund trades at $168.05. The key difference: Costco Wholesale Corporation pays a 0.62% dividend while Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| COST | XLV | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $418.79B | — |
Sector | Consumer Staples | — |
52-Week High | $1.09K | $168.44 |
52-Week Low | $849.63 | $131.16 |
Enterprise Value | $406.93B | — |
Dividend Yield | 0.62% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) trades at $948.1, down 0.49% on the day, with a bearish technical signal from moving averages but neutral oscillators. The company reported strong revenue growth to $275.24B in 2025 and net income of $8.10B, though it missed Q1 2026 EPS estimates. Recent news highlights March sales up 11.3% year-over-year and institutional buying activity, while the stock remains near its 52-week high of $1,067.08.
Outlook is supported by robust membership fee growth and expansion, but high valuation ratios like a P/E of 47.5 pose risks. Analyst consensus is bullish with a $1,120 price target, though competitive pressures and economic sensitivity could challenge margins. The stock offers long-term growth potential if valuation aligns with earnings momentum.
XLV, the Health Care Select Sector SPDR ETF, trades at $167.1, down 0.8% on the day. The technical outlook is bullish based on moving averages, though short-term oscillators signal overbought conditions. Recent news highlights the ETF's defensive appeal amid economic uncertainty and its competitive edge with a low 0.08% expense ratio. Strong healthcare earnings and investor inflows into defensive sectors support positive momentum.
The outlook for XLV is positive, driven by defensive sector demand and solid underlying holdings. Key opportunities include cost efficiency and diversification across 60 healthcare stocks. Risks involve sector-specific pressures like regulatory changes and liquidity challenges. Analyst sentiment remains favorable, with the ETF well-positioned for steady growth in a volatile market.
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 →In seeking to track the performance of the index, the fund employs a replication strategy. It generally invests substantially all, but at least 95%, of its total assets in the securities comprising the index. The index includes companies from the following industries: pharmaceuticals; health care equipment & supplies; health care providers & services; biotechnology; life sciences tools & services; and health care technology. The fund is non-diversified.
Read more on XLV →