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
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 thβ¦
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.β¦
Accumulation Zones
| Metric |
COST |
WFC |
| Zone Low |
$606.53 |
$79.87 |
| Zone High |
$687.40 |
$90.52 |
| In Buy Zone? |
No
|
Yes
|