COST vs GS: Which Is the Better Buy?

Side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. β€” fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals. Updated 2026-04-29.
Costco Wholesale Corporation Β· Consumer Defensive
$999.89
-20.7% upside to fair value
Grade D High Quality
VS
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. Β· Financial Services
$926.55
-45.0% upside to fair value
Grade D
QuantHub Verdict
COST has more upside to fair value (-20.7%). GS trades at a lower forward P/E (15.6x). These are model outputs β€” not personalized investment advice. See all research β†’
Valuation & Fundamentals
Metric COST GS
Current Price $999.89 $926.55
Fair Value Estimate $793.02 $509.60
Upside to Fair Value -20.7% -45.0%
Market Cap $443.6B $275.0B
Forward P/E 51.9x 15.6x
EV / EBITDA 30.9x 30.6x
Price / Sales 1.6x 2.5x
Price / FCF 48.8x -5.8x
Revenue Growth YoY +9.2% -45.4%
Gross Margin 12.9% 55.5%
Operating Margin 3.8% 20.5%
Return on Equity 28.8% 14.6%
Dividend Yield 0% 0%
FCF Yield 2.05% β€”
Analyst Consensus Buy Hold
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…
GS β€” The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. operates as a leading global financial services firm specializing in investment banking, securities, investment management, and consumer banking. The company benefits from a high-quality business model characterized by strong brand recognition, deep client relationships, and a history of stable leadership. However, the stock is currently significantly overvalued, tra…
Accumulation Zones
Metric COST GS
Zone Low $594.76 $382.20
Zone High $674.07 $433.16
In Buy Zone? No No
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