COST vs ETN: Which Is the Better Buy?

Side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and Eaton Corporation plc โ€” fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals. Updated 2026-08-06.
Costco Wholesale Corporation ยท Consumer Defensive
$947.50
-1.4% upside to fair value
Grade C High Quality
VS
Eaton Corporation plc ยท Industrials
$447.28
-9.5% upside to fair value
Med Conviction Grade C+
QuantHub Verdict
COST has more upside to fair value (-1.4%). ETN trades at a lower forward P/E (33.2x). These are model outputs โ€” not personalized investment advice. See all research โ†’
Valuation & Fundamentals
Metric COST ETN
Current Price $947.50 $447.28
Fair Value Estimate $933.84 $405.00
Upside to Fair Value -1.4% -9.5%
Market Cap $420.2B $173.7B
Forward P/E 47.6x 33.2x
EV / EBITDA 28.3x 30.0x
Price / Sales 1.4x 5.8x
Price / FCF 47.7x 38.6x
Revenue Growth YoY +11.6% +21.0%
Gross Margin 12.9% 35.9%
Operating Margin 3.8% 17.7%
Return on Equity 28.3% 18.9%
Dividend Yield 0% 0.98%
FCF Yield 2.1% 2.59%
Analyst Consensus Buy Buy
Investment Thesis
COST โ€” Costco Wholesale Corporation
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, tโ€ฆ
ETN โ€” Eaton Corporation plc
Eaton is a 115-year-old power management company whose Electrical Americas, Electrical Global and Aerospace segments have become a core beneficiary of the same AI data-center, grid modernization and reshoring supercycle driving GE Vernova and Vertiv. Q2 2026 results were record-setting: revenue of $8.5 billion (up 21% year over year, 14% organic), adjusted EPS of $3.15, and segment margins of 23.โ€ฆ
Accumulation Zones
Metric COST ETN
Zone Low $700.38 $305.00
Zone High $793.76 $345.00
In Buy Zone? No No
โ† COST Research    ETN Research โ†’    All Research