COST vs TMO: Which Is the Better Buy?

Side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. — fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals. Updated 2026-09-25.
Costco Wholesale Corporation · Consumer Defensive
$896.48
+24.7% upside to fair value
Med Conviction Grade B High Quality
VS
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. · Healthcare
$658.32
+31.1% upside to fair value
Med Conviction Grade B High Quality
QuantHub Verdict
TMO has more upside to fair value (+31.1%). These are model outputs — not personalized investment advice. See all research →
Valuation & Fundamentals
Metric COST TMO
Current Price $896.48 $658.32
Fair Value Estimate $1,117.50 $863.34
Upside to Fair Value +24.7% +31.1%
Market Cap $397.6B $244.7B
Forward P/E — —
EV / EBITDA 32.7x 25.9x
Price / Sales 1.3x 5.3x
Price / FCF 42.4x 33.4x
Revenue Growth YoY +11.1% +10.5%
Gross Margin 17.5% 40.4%
Operating Margin 3.9% 17.7%
Return on Equity 28.0% 13.4%
Dividend Yield 0.62% 0.28%
FCF Yield 2.36% 3.0%
Analyst Consensus Strong Buy Strong Buy
Investment Thesis
COST — Costco Wholesale Corporation
Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a global network of membership-based warehouse clubs, selling branded and private-label merchandise across the United States, Canada, Mexico, Japan, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, Spain, France, Iceland, and China, supplemented by pharmacies, optical centers, food courts, hearing aid centers, tire installation, 636 gas stations, and e-com…
TMO — Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.
Thermo Fisher Scientific is a global life-sciences and laboratory-services platform spanning Life Sciences Solutions, Analytical Instruments, Specialty Diagnostics, and Laboratory Products and Biopharma Services, with recognized brands including Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Patheon, and PPD, serving pharmaceutical, biotech, clinical, academic, and governme…
Accumulation Zones
Metric COST TMO
Zone Low $838.12 $647.50
Zone High $949.88 $733.84
In Buy Zone? Yes Yes
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