COST vs VRT: Which Is the Better Buy?

Side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and Vertiv Holdings Co โ€” fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals. Updated 2026-04-18.
Costco Wholesale Corporation ยท Consumer Defensive
$1,002.88
-35.4% upside to fair value
Grade C High Quality
VS
Vertiv Holdings Co ยท Industrials
$307.34
-11.3% upside to fair value
Grade D High Quality
QuantHub Verdict
VRT has more upside to fair value (-11.3%). COST trades at a lower forward P/E (52.1x). These are model outputs โ€” not personalized investment advice. See all research โ†’
Valuation & Fundamentals
Metric COST VRT
Current Price $1,002.88 $307.34
Fair Value Estimate $648.03 $272.65
Upside to Fair Value -35.4% -11.3%
Market Cap $444.9B $117.6B
Forward P/E 52.1x 88.2x
EV / EBITDA 31.0x 55.3x
Price / Sales 1.6x 11.5x
Price / FCF 49.0x 61.2x
Revenue Growth YoY +3.4% +7.6%
Gross Margin 12.9% 34.8%
Operating Margin 3.8% 18.2%
Return on Equity 28.8% 40.3%
Dividend Yield 0% 0%
FCF Yield 2.04% 1.63%
Analyst Consensus Strong Buy Strong Buy
Investment Thesis
COST โ€” Costco Wholesale Corporation
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 โ€ฆ
VRT โ€” Vertiv Holdings Co
Vertiv Holdings Co operates as a global leader in digital critical infrastructure, providing technology products and solutions primarily for data centers, telecom, and AI-driven markets. The company demonstrates strong business quality with 40.3% return on equity, 7.6% revenue growth, and 11.8% earnings growth year-over-year, supported by a robust $1.89 billion free cash flow and a $15 billion baโ€ฆ
Accumulation Zones
Metric COST VRT
Zone Low $486.02 $204.49
Zone High $550.83 $231.75
In Buy Zone? No No
โ† COST Research    VRT Research โ†’    All Research