COST vs WFC: Which Is the Better Buy?

Side-by-side comparison of Costco Wholesale Corporation and Wells Fargo & Company β€” fair value, conviction, valuation metrics, and QuantHub research signals. Updated 2026-04-22.
Costco Wholesale Corporation Β· Consumer Defensive
$999.89
-19.1% upside to fair value
Grade D High Quality
VS
Wells Fargo & Company Β· Financial Services
$81.52
+30.6% upside to fair value
Grade B
QuantHub Verdict
WFC has more upside to fair value (+30.6%). WFC trades at a lower forward P/E (11.9x). These are model outputs β€” not personalized investment advice. See all research β†’
Valuation & Fundamentals
Metric COST WFC
Current Price $999.89 $81.52
Fair Value Estimate $808.71 $106.49
Upside to Fair Value -19.1% +30.6%
Market Cap $443.6B $250.7B
Forward P/E 51.9x 11.9x
EV / EBITDA 30.9x 16.7x
Price / Sales 1.6x 2.0x
Price / FCF 48.8x -13.2x
Revenue Growth YoY +9.2% +7.3%
Gross Margin 12.9% 64.5%
Operating Margin 3.8% 20.5%
Return on Equity 28.8% 12.0%
Dividend Yield 0% 0%
FCF Yield 2.05% β€”
Analyst Consensus Buy Buy
Investment Thesis
COST β€” Costco Wholesale Corporation
Costco Wholesale Corporation operates a global membership-based warehouse club model that leverages scale, low costs, and superior employee retention to deliver consistent revenue and earnings growth. The company reported $269.9 billion in net sales for fiscal 2025 with an 8% year-over-year increase, driven by strong segments in Foods and Sundries and membership fees exceeding $5.65 billion in th…
WFC β€” Wells Fargo & Company
Wells Fargo & Company is a diversified financial services firm operating primarily in consumer banking, commercial banking, corporate and investment banking, and wealth and investment management. The company benefits from a seasoned CEO with extensive industry experience and has made significant progress in regulatory compliance and operational efficiency, including lifting its asset cap in 2025.…
Accumulation Zones
Metric COST WFC
Zone Low $606.53 $79.87
Zone High $687.40 $90.52
In Buy Zone? No Yes
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