COST vs MCD: Which Is the Better Buy?
Side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and McDonald's Corporation — fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals.
Updated 2026-05-09.
Costco Wholesale Corporation · Consumer Defensive
$999.89
-20.7% upside to fair value
Grade D
High Quality
VS
McDonald's Corporation · Consumer Cyclical
$275.75
+18.8% upside to fair value
Grade C
High Quality
QuantHub Verdict
MCD has more upside to fair value
(+18.8%).
MCD trades at a lower forward P/E
(22.6x).
These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice.
See all research →
Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
COST |
MCD |
| Current Price |
$999.89 |
$275.75 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$793.02 |
$327.62 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
-20.7%
|
+18.8%
|
| Market Cap |
$443.6B |
$196.0B |
| Forward P/E |
51.9x
|
22.6x
|
| EV / EBITDA |
30.9x
|
16.7x
|
| Price / Sales |
1.6x
|
7.1x
|
| Price / FCF |
48.8x
|
27.9x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
+9.2%
|
+9.4%
|
| Gross Margin |
12.9%
|
57.4%
|
| Operating Margin |
3.8%
|
46.0%
|
| Return on Equity |
28.8%
|
-434.0%
|
| Dividend Yield |
0% |
0% |
| FCF Yield |
2.05%
|
3.59%
|
| Analyst Consensus |
Buy
|
Buy
|
Investment Thesis
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…
McDonald's Corporation operates a global quick-service restaurant business with a strong competitive moat driven by brand recognition, extensive franchising, and digital innovation. The company reported $26.9 billion in revenue for fiscal 2025, growing 4% year-over-year, with significant contributions from its International Operated Markets segment growing nearly 8%. Despite a high valuation regi…
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
COST |
MCD |
| Zone Low |
$594.76 |
$245.72 |
| Zone High |
$674.07 |
$278.48 |
| In Buy Zone? |
No
|
Yes
|