COST vs PLTR: Which Is the Better Buy?
Side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and Palantir Technologies Inc. — fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals.
Updated 2026-04-16.
Costco Wholesale Corporation · Consumer Defensive
$1,002.88
-35.4% upside to fair value
Grade C
High Quality
VS
Palantir Technologies Inc. · Technology
$142.76
-24.3% upside to fair value
Med Conviction
Grade C
QuantHub Verdict
PLTR has more upside to fair value
(-24.3%).
COST trades at a lower forward P/E
(52.1x).
These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice.
See all research →
Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
COST |
PLTR |
| Current Price |
$1,002.88 |
$142.76 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$648.03 |
$108.00 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
-35.4%
|
-24.3%
|
| Market Cap |
$444.9B |
$327.1B |
| Forward P/E |
52.1x
|
209.7x
|
| EV / EBITDA |
31.0x
|
—
|
| Price / Sales |
1.6x
|
73.1x
|
| Price / FCF |
49.0x
|
155.7x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
+3.4%
|
+19.1%
|
| Gross Margin |
12.9%
|
82.4%
|
| Operating Margin |
3.8%
|
31.6%
|
| Return on Equity |
28.8%
|
25.7%
|
| Dividend Yield |
0% |
— |
| FCF Yield |
2.04%
|
0.6%
|
| Analyst Consensus |
Strong Buy
|
Buy
|
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 …
Palantir Technologies develops data analytics and AI software platforms like Gotham and Foundry for government and commercial clients. The business excels with high margins (gross 82.4%, net 36.3%), accelerating growth (Q4 FY2025 revenue up 70% YoY to $1.41B, 2026 guidance $7.19B implying 61% growth), and strong moats in defense and enterprise AI, but trades expensively at 73x P/S versus 5-year m…
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
COST |
PLTR |
| Zone Low |
$486.02 |
$81.00 |
| Zone High |
$550.83 |
$92.00 |
| In Buy Zone? |
No
|
No
|