COST vs DE: Which Is the Better Buy?

Side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and Deere & Company β€” fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals. Updated 2026-05-04.
Costco Wholesale Corporation Β· Consumer Defensive
$999.89
-19.1% upside to fair value
Grade D High Quality
VS
Deere & Company Β· Industrials
$578.39
+22.4% upside to fair value
Grade C
QuantHub Verdict
DE has more upside to fair value (+22.4%). DE trades at a lower forward P/E (32.5x). These are model outputs β€” not personalized investment advice. See all research β†’
Valuation & Fundamentals
Metric COST DE
Current Price $999.89 $578.39
Fair Value Estimate $808.71 $708.19
Upside to Fair Value -19.1% +22.4%
Market Cap $443.6B $156.2B
Forward P/E 51.9x 32.5x
EV / EBITDA 30.9x 18.4x
Price / Sales 1.6x 3.4x
Price / FCF 48.8x 43.7x
Revenue Growth YoY +9.2% +16.3%
Gross Margin 12.9% 35.6%
Operating Margin 3.8% 18.5%
Return on Equity 28.8% 18.9%
Dividend Yield 0% 0%
FCF Yield 2.05% 2.29%
Analyst Consensus Buy Buy
Investment Thesis
COST β€” Costco Wholesale Corporation
Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a global membership-based warehouse club model that leverages scale, low costs, and superior employee retention to deliver consistent revenue and earnings growth. The company reported $269.9 billion in net sales for fiscal 2025 with an 8% year-over-year increase, driven by strong segments in Foods and Sundries and membership fees exceeding $5.65 billion in th…
DE β€” Deere & Company
Deere & Company is a leading manufacturer of agricultural, construction, and forestry machinery, with a strong position in production and precision agriculture, small agriculture and turf, and construction and forestry segments. The company benefits from a durable competitive moat driven by its brand, intangible assets, and switching costs, supported by a CEO with deep institutional knowledge and…
Accumulation Zones
Metric COST DE
Zone Low $606.53 $531.14
Zone High $687.40 $601.96
In Buy Zone? No Yes
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