COST vs MAR: Which Is the Better Buy?
Side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and Marriott International, Inc. — fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals.
Updated 2026-04-18.
Costco Wholesale Corporation · Consumer Defensive
$1,002.88
-35.4% upside to fair value
Grade C
High Quality
VS
Marriott International, Inc. · Consumer Cyclical
$377.93
-16.6% upside to fair value
Grade D
QuantHub Verdict
MAR has more upside to fair value
(-16.6%).
MAR trades at a lower forward P/E
(39.0x).
These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice.
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Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
COST |
MAR |
| Current Price |
$1,002.88 |
$377.93 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$648.03 |
$315.15 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
-35.4%
|
-16.6%
|
| Market Cap |
$444.9B |
$100.2B |
| Forward P/E |
52.1x
|
39.0x
|
| EV / EBITDA |
31.0x
|
25.3x
|
| Price / Sales |
1.6x
|
3.8x
|
| Price / FCF |
49.0x
|
34.6x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
+3.4%
|
+3.1%
|
| Gross Margin |
12.9%
|
21.3%
|
| Operating Margin |
3.8%
|
15.8%
|
| Return on Equity |
28.8%
|
-79.9%
|
| Dividend Yield |
0% |
0% |
| FCF Yield |
2.04%
|
2.89%
|
| 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 …
Marriott International operates the world's largest hospitality portfolio with approximately 8,900 to 9,000 properties across 141 countries and over 30 brands, supported by the largest loyalty program with 203 to 210 million members. The company benefits from a durable competitive moat driven by scale, brand strength, and network effects. However, despite steady revenue growth of 3.1% year-over-y…
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
COST |
MAR |
| Zone Low |
$486.02 |
$236.36 |
| Zone High |
$550.83 |
$267.88 |
| In Buy Zone? |
No
|
No
|