COST vs INTU: Which Is the Better Buy?

Side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and Intuit Inc. โ€” fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals. Updated 2026-07-16.
Costco Wholesale Corporation ยท Consumer Defensive
$947.50
-1.4% upside to fair value
Grade C High Quality
VS
Intuit Inc. ยท Technology
$279.70
+45.0% upside to fair value
Grade A High Quality
QuantHub Verdict
INTU has more upside to fair value (+45.0%). INTU trades at a lower forward P/E (16.9x). These are model outputs โ€” not personalized investment advice. See all research โ†’
Valuation & Fundamentals
Metric COST INTU
Current Price $947.50 $279.70
Fair Value Estimate $933.84 $405.56
Upside to Fair Value -1.4% +45.0%
Market Cap $420.2B $76.5B
Forward P/E 47.6x 16.9x
EV / EBITDA 28.3x 11.2x
Price / Sales 1.4x 3.7x
Price / FCF 47.7x 9.9x
Revenue Growth YoY +11.6% +10.4%
Gross Margin 12.9% 81.0%
Operating Margin 3.8% 27.5%
Return on Equity 28.3% 23.3%
Dividend Yield 0% 0%
FCF Yield 2.1% 10.08%
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
INTU โ€” Intuit Inc.
Intuit Inc. is a leading technology company specializing in software applications for financial management, including popular products like TurboTax and QuickBooks. The company demonstrates high business quality with a durable competitive moat supported by strong brand recognition, high gross margins of 81%, and a robust return on equity of 23.3%. Despite a moderate revenue growth of 10.4% and eaโ€ฆ
Accumulation Zones
Metric COST INTU
Zone Low $700.38 $304.17
Zone High $793.76 $344.73
In Buy Zone? No Yes
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