AAPL vs COST: Which Is the Better Buy?
Side-by-side comparison of Apple Inc. and Costco Wholesale Corporation — fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals.
Updated 2026-07-08.
Apple Inc. · Technology
$308.63
+5.6% upside to fair value
Grade B
High Quality
VS
Costco Wholesale Corporation · Consumer Defensive
$947.50
-1.4% upside to fair value
Grade C
High Quality
QuantHub Verdict
AAPL has more upside to fair value
(+5.6%).
AAPL trades at a lower forward P/E
(37.2x).
These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice.
See all research →
Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
AAPL |
COST |
| Current Price |
$308.63 |
$947.50 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$325.93 |
$933.84 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
+5.6%
|
-1.4%
|
| Market Cap |
$4,533.0B |
$420.2B |
| Forward P/E |
37.2x
|
47.6x
|
| EV / EBITDA |
28.6x
|
28.3x
|
| Price / Sales |
10.0x
|
1.4x
|
| Price / FCF |
35.1x
|
47.7x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
+16.6%
|
+11.6%
|
| Gross Margin |
47.9%
|
12.9%
|
| Operating Margin |
32.6%
|
3.8%
|
| Return on Equity |
146.7%
|
28.3%
|
| Dividend Yield |
0% |
0% |
| FCF Yield |
2.85%
|
2.1%
|
| Analyst Consensus |
Buy
|
Buy
|
Investment Thesis
Apple Inc. is a leading technology company specializing in consumer electronics, software, and services, with a durable competitive moat driven by its integrated ecosystem of devices, operating systems, and services. The company benefits from strong brand loyalty, high margins with a gross margin of 47.9%, and consistent earnings growth, including a 19.4% increase in earnings in the most recent q…
Costco Wholesale Corporation operates as a membership-only warehouse club offering a wide range of merchandise at low prices. The company exhibits high business quality with a durable competitive moat driven by cost advantages, strong brand loyalty, and efficient operations, reflected in a robust ROE of 28.3% and solid revenue growth of 11.6% in the most recent quarter. Despite these strengths, t…
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
AAPL |
COST |
| Zone Low |
$244.45 |
$700.38 |
| Zone High |
$277.04 |
$793.76 |
| In Buy Zone? |
No
|
No
|