COST vs NKE: Which Is the Better Buy?
Side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and NIKE, Inc. — fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals.
Updated 2026-07-08.
Costco Wholesale Corporation · Consumer Defensive
$947.50
-1.4% upside to fair value
Grade C
High Quality
VS
NIKE, Inc. · Consumer Cyclical
$41.05
+45.0% upside to fair value
Grade B
High Quality
QuantHub Verdict
NKE has more upside to fair value
(+45.0%).
NKE trades at a lower forward P/E
(19.6x).
These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice.
See all research →
Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
COST |
NKE |
| Current Price |
$947.50 |
$41.05 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$933.84 |
$59.52 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
-1.4%
|
+45.0%
|
| Market Cap |
$420.2B |
$60.7B |
| Forward P/E |
47.6x
|
19.6x
|
| EV / EBITDA |
28.3x
|
14.2x
|
| Price / Sales |
1.4x
|
1.3x
|
| Price / FCF |
47.7x
|
57.9x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
+11.6%
|
-1.1%
|
| Gross Margin |
12.9%
|
42.9%
|
| Operating Margin |
3.8%
|
8.2%
|
| Return on Equity |
28.3%
|
22.0%
|
| Dividend Yield |
0% |
0% |
| FCF Yield |
2.1%
|
1.73%
|
| Analyst Consensus |
Buy
|
Hold
|
Investment Thesis
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, t…
NIKE, Inc. is a leading global athletic footwear and apparel company with a durable competitive moat supported by its strong brand, scale, and global distribution infrastructure. The company is currently led by CEO Elliott Hill, a seasoned Nike veteran who returned in October 2024 to navigate intensifying competition and channel complexity. Despite its market leadership and solid profitability me…
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
COST |
NKE |
| Zone Low |
$700.38 |
$44.64 |
| Zone High |
$793.76 |
$50.59 |
| In Buy Zone? |
No
|
Yes
|