COST vs META: Which Is the Better Buy?

Side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and Meta Platforms, Inc. β€” fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals. Updated 2026-04-29.
Costco Wholesale Corporation Β· Consumer Defensive
$999.89
-20.7% upside to fair value
Grade D High Quality
VS
Meta Platforms, Inc. Β· Communication Services
$671.34
+36.4% upside to fair value
Grade B High Quality
QuantHub Verdict
META has more upside to fair value (+36.4%). META trades at a lower forward P/E (28.0x). These are model outputs β€” not personalized investment advice. See all research β†’
Valuation & Fundamentals
Metric COST META
Current Price $999.89 $671.34
Fair Value Estimate $793.02 $916.00
Upside to Fair Value -20.7% +36.4%
Market Cap $443.6B $1,698.2B
Forward P/E 51.9x 28.0x
EV / EBITDA 30.9x 16.5x
Price / Sales 1.6x 8.4x
Price / FCF 48.8x 36.8x
Revenue Growth YoY +9.2% +23.8%
Gross Margin 12.9% 82.0%
Operating Margin 3.8% 41.4%
Return on Equity 28.8% 30.6%
Dividend Yield 0% 0%
FCF Yield 2.05% 2.72%
Analyst Consensus Buy Strong Buy
Investment Thesis
COST β€” Costco Wholesale Corporation
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…
META β€” Meta Platforms, Inc.
Meta Platforms, Inc. operates a leading global social media and technology platform primarily through its Family of Apps segment, which generates over 98% of its $201 billion 2025 revenue, driven by strong advertising growth. The company maintains a high-quality business with a durable competitive moat supported by network effects, brand strength, and intangible assets, reflected in a 30.6% retur…
Accumulation Zones
Metric COST META
Zone Low $594.76 $687.00
Zone High $674.07 $778.60
In Buy Zone? No Yes
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