COST vs KO: Which Is the Better Buy?

Side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and The Coca-Cola Company โ€” fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals. Updated 2026-09-25.
Costco Wholesale Corporation ยท Consumer Defensive
$896.48
+24.7% upside to fair value
Med Conviction Grade B High Quality
VS
The Coca-Cola Company ยท Consumer Defensive
$88.71
+15.5% upside to fair value
Med Conviction Grade C High Quality
QuantHub Verdict
COST has more upside to fair value (+24.7%). These are model outputs โ€” not personalized investment advice. See all research โ†’
Valuation & Fundamentals
Metric COST KO
Current Price $896.48 $88.71
Fair Value Estimate $1,117.50 $102.44
Upside to Fair Value +24.7% +15.5%
Market Cap $397.6B $381.7B
Forward P/E โ€” โ€”
EV / EBITDA 32.7x 20.8x
Price / Sales 1.3x 7.6x
Price / FCF 42.4x 26.7x
Revenue Growth YoY +11.1% +6.7%
Gross Margin 17.5% 61.9%
Operating Margin 3.9% 29.6%
Return on Equity 28.0% 43.0%
Dividend Yield 0.62% 2.37%
FCF Yield 2.36% 3.75%
Analyst Consensus Strong Buy Strong Buy
Investment Thesis
COST โ€” Costco Wholesale Corporation
Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a global network of membership-based warehouse clubs, selling branded and private-label merchandise across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Spain, France, Iceland, and China, supplemented by pharmacies, optical centers, food courts, hearing aid centers, tire installation, 636 gas stations, and e-comโ€ฆ
KO โ€” The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company is a global non-alcoholic beverage concentrate, brand-management and bottling-system business with products sold in more than 200 countries and territories, supported by powerful trademarks, 2.2 billion daily servings and an entrenched distribution network. Business quality is high: TTM gross, operating and net margins are 61.9%, 29.6% and 28.6%, respectively, ROE is 43.0%, โ€ฆ
Accumulation Zones
Metric COST KO
Zone Low $838.12 $76.83
Zone High $949.88 $87.07
In Buy Zone? Yes No
โ† COST Research    KO Research โ†’    All Research