COST vs SMCI: Which Is the Better Buy?
Side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and Super Micro Computer, 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
Super Micro Computer, Inc. · Technology
$28.56
+435.6% upside to fair value
Grade B
QuantHub Verdict
SMCI has more upside to fair value
(+435.6%).
SMCI trades at a lower forward P/E
(19.5x).
These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice.
See all research →
Valuation & Fundamentals
| Metric |
COST |
SMCI |
| Current Price |
$1,002.88 |
$28.56 |
| Fair Value Estimate |
$648.03 |
$152.97 |
| Upside to Fair Value |
-35.4%
|
+435.6%
|
| Market Cap |
$444.9B |
$17.1B |
| Forward P/E |
52.1x
|
19.5x
|
| EV / EBITDA |
31.0x
|
15.0x
|
| Price / Sales |
1.6x
|
0.6x
|
| Price / FCF |
49.0x
|
38.9x
|
| Revenue Growth YoY |
+3.4%
|
+152.8%
|
| Gross Margin |
12.9%
|
8.0%
|
| Operating Margin |
3.8%
|
3.7%
|
| Return on Equity |
28.8%
|
13.3%
|
| Dividend Yield |
0% |
0% |
| FCF Yield |
2.04%
|
2.57%
|
| 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 …
Super Micro Computer, Inc. is a technology company specializing in server and storage systems with a dominant focus on AI GPU platforms that now drive over 70% of its revenues. The company benefits from a founder-led management team with deep industry expertise and long tenure, and it has scaled rapidly with revenue growth exceeding 150% year-over-year. Despite this explosive growth, profitabilit…
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
COST |
SMCI |
| Zone Low |
$486.02 |
$114.73 |
| Zone High |
$550.83 |
$130.02 |
| In Buy Zone? |
No
|
Yes
|