COST vs INTC: Which Is the Better Buy?
Side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and Intel Corporation — fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals.
Updated 2026-04-16.
Costco Wholesale Corporation · Consumer Defensive
$1,002.88
-35.4% upside to fair value
Grade C
High Quality
VS
Intel Corporation · Technology
$68.50
-13.9% upside to fair value
High Conviction
Grade D
QuantHub Verdict
INTC has more upside to fair value
(-13.9%).
These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice.
See all research →
Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
COST |
INTC |
| Current Price |
$1,002.88 |
$68.50 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$648.03 |
$59.00 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
-35.4%
|
-13.9%
|
| Market Cap |
$444.9B |
$343.9B |
| Forward P/E |
52.1x
|
-1245.8x
|
| EV / EBITDA |
31.0x
|
—
|
| Price / Sales |
1.6x
|
6.5x
|
| Price / FCF |
49.0x
|
-69.5x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
+3.4%
|
+0.2%
|
| Gross Margin |
12.9%
|
34.8%
|
| Operating Margin |
3.8%
|
-4.2%
|
| Return on Equity |
28.8%
|
-0.3%
|
| Dividend Yield |
0% |
— |
| FCF Yield |
2.04%
|
—
|
| Analyst Consensus |
Strong Buy
|
Hold
|
Investment Thesis
Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a global membership-based warehouse club model with over 900 warehouses across 14 countries, generating $254 billion in fiscal 2024 revenue. The company benefits from a durable competitive moat driven by scale advantages, a loyal membership base with high renewal rates, and superior employee retention through better wages and benefits. Despite steady revenue …
Intel is a legacy semiconductor leader attempting an ambitious turnaround under new CEO Lip-Bu Tan, pivoting from a pure-play chipmaker to an integrated device manufacturer (IDM 2.0) with foundry ambitions. The business remains structurally challenged: PC market share is eroding, foundry execution is unproven, negative free cash flow persists, and margins are compressed. However, the stock trades…
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
COST |
INTC |
| Zone Low |
$486.02 |
$44.00 |
| Zone High |
$550.83 |
$50.00 |
| In Buy Zone? |
No
|
No
|