ABBV vs. COST: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at ABBV and COST, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Overview
ABBV’s market capitalization stands at 334.34 billion USD, while COST’s is 437.72 billion USD, indicating their market valuations are broadly comparable.
COST carries a higher beta at 0.99, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while ABBV (beta: 0.49) exhibits greater stability.
| Symbol | ABBV | COST |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | AbbVie Inc. | Costco Wholesale Corporation |
| Country | US | US |
| Sector | Healthcare | Consumer Defensive |
| Industry | Drug Manufacturers - General | Discount Stores |
| CEO | Robert A. Michael CPA | Ron M. Vachris |
| Price | 189.28 USD | 987.02 USD |
| Market Cap | 334.34 billion USD | 437.72 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.49 | 0.99 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NASDAQ |
| IPO Date | January 2, 2013 | July 9, 1986 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of ABBV and COST by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.
Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Profitability
Return on Equity
ABBV
95.59%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 95.59%
- Q3
- 76.92%
- Median
- 30.71%
- Q1
- 8.97%
- Min
- -14.85%
In the upper quartile for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, ABBV’s Return on Equity of 95.59% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
COST
31.13%
Discount Stores Industry
- Max
- 31.68%
- Q3
- 28.60%
- Median
- 15.53%
- Q1
- 12.21%
- Min
- 12.12%
In the upper quartile for the Discount Stores industry, COST’s Return on Equity of 31.13% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
Return on Invested Capital
ABBV
17.93%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 25.72%
- Q3
- 17.89%
- Median
- 11.47%
- Q1
- 9.39%
- Min
- 2.87%
In the upper quartile for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, ABBV’s Return on Invested Capital of 17.93% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.
COST
20.02%
Discount Stores Industry
- Max
- 20.02%
- Q3
- 12.27%
- Median
- 11.13%
- Q1
- 6.51%
- Min
- 5.03%
In the upper quartile for the Discount Stores industry, COST’s Return on Invested Capital of 20.02% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.
Net Profit Margin
ABBV
7.31%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 34.51%
- Q3
- 23.04%
- Median
- 14.73%
- Q1
- 11.78%
- Min
- 2.18%
Falling into the lower quartile for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, ABBV’s Net Profit Margin of 7.31% indicates weaker profitability. This means the company retains a smaller portion of each dollar in sales as profit compared to its competitors.
COST
2.92%
Discount Stores Industry
- Max
- 2.92%
- Q3
- 2.92%
- Median
- 2.81%
- Q1
- 2.75%
- Min
- 2.75%
COST’s Net Profit Margin of 2.92% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Discount Stores industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
Operating Profit Margin
ABBV
28.31%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 40.70%
- Q3
- 28.90%
- Median
- 23.41%
- Q1
- 19.05%
- Min
- 16.13%
ABBV’s Operating Profit Margin of 28.31% is around the midpoint for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
COST
3.75%
Discount Stores Industry
- Max
- 5.42%
- Q3
- 5.42%
- Median
- 4.33%
- Q1
- 3.93%
- Min
- 2.10%
COST’s Operating Profit Margin of 3.75% is in the lower quartile for the Discount Stores industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | ABBV | COST |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 95.59% | 31.13% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 3.08% | 10.39% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 17.93% | 20.02% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 7.31% | 2.92% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 28.31% | 3.75% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 77.46% | 13.38% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio
ABBV
0.76
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 1.67
- Q3
- 1.37
- Median
- 1.26
- Q1
- 0.87
- Min
- 0.39
ABBV’s Current Ratio of 0.76 falls into the lower quartile for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
COST
1.02
Discount Stores Industry
- Max
- 1.25
- Q3
- 1.23
- Median
- 1.02
- Q1
- 0.78
- Min
- 0.74
COST’s Current Ratio of 1.02 aligns with the median group of the Discount Stores industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio
ABBV
49.22
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 2.95
- Q3
- 2.44
- Median
- 0.86
- Q1
- 0.68
- Min
- 0.09
With a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 49.22, ABBV operates with exceptionally high leverage compared to the Drug Manufacturers - General industry norm. This suggests an aggressive reliance on debt financing, which can magnify returns but also significantly elevates financial risk.
COST
0.30
Discount Stores Industry
- Max
- 2.34
- Q3
- 1.40
- Median
- 0.80
- Q1
- 0.31
- Min
- 0.20
Falling into the lower quartile for the Discount Stores industry, COST’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.30 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
Interest Coverage Ratio
ABBV
6.14
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 27.46
- Q3
- 14.40
- Median
- 7.80
- Q1
- 4.07
- Min
- 1.67
ABBV’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 6.14 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
COST
916.73
Discount Stores Industry
- Max
- 18.46
- Q3
- 17.45
- Median
- 13.09
- Q1
- 10.49
- Min
- 1.08
With an Interest Coverage Ratio of 916.73, COST demonstrates a superior capacity to service its debt, placing it well above the typical range for the Discount Stores industry. This stems from either robust earnings or a conservative debt load.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | ABBV | COST |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 0.76 | 1.02 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 0.64 | 0.52 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | 49.22 | 0.30 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.51 | 0.11 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 3.96 | -0.49 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 6.14 | 916.73 |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for ABBV and COST. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
Free Cash Flow Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield
ABBV
3.37%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 8.72%
- Q3
- 4.10%
- Median
- 3.34%
- Q1
- 1.89%
- Min
- 0.00%
ABBV’s Dividend Yield of 3.37% is consistent with its peers in the Drug Manufacturers - General industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
COST
0.48%
Discount Stores Industry
- Max
- 4.51%
- Q3
- 0.91%
- Median
- 0.49%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
COST’s Dividend Yield of 0.48% is consistent with its peers in the Discount Stores industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.
Dividend Payout Ratio
ABBV
266.46%
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 266.46%
- Q3
- 78.91%
- Median
- 60.27%
- Q1
- 43.74%
- Min
- 0.00%
ABBV’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 266.46% is above 100%. This means the company is paying out more in dividends than it earned, a practice that is often unsustainable and could indicate a risk to future dividend stability.
COST
19.69%
Discount Stores Industry
- Max
- 44.99%
- Q3
- 36.65%
- Median
- 19.69%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
COST’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 19.69% is within the typical range for the Discount Stores industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | ABBV | COST |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 3.37% | 0.48% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 266.46% | 19.69% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio
ABBV
79.77
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 27.96
- Q3
- 25.84
- Median
- 18.32
- Q1
- 16.65
- Min
- 3.39
At 79.77, ABBV’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.
COST
55.87
Discount Stores Industry
- Max
- 55.76
- Q3
- 45.00
- Median
- 33.38
- Q1
- 22.25
- Min
- 10.79
At 55.87, COST’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Discount Stores industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.
Forward P/E to Growth Ratio
ABBV
7.21
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 3.10
- Q3
- 3.09
- Median
- 2.72
- Q1
- 2.18
- Min
- 1.02
ABBV’s Forward PEG Ratio of 7.21 is exceptionally high for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry. This suggests its stock price is very high relative to its expected earnings growth, signaling significant overvaluation risk.
COST
5.06
Discount Stores Industry
- Max
- 5.06
- Q3
- 3.70
- Median
- 2.97
- Q1
- 2.24
- Min
- 1.25
A Forward PEG Ratio of 5.06 places COST in the upper quartile for the Discount Stores industry. This suggests the stock is potentially expensive compared to its peers relative to its growth forecast, which may warrant caution.
Price-to-Sales Ratio
ABBV
5.83
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 6.47
- Q3
- 4.47
- Median
- 3.53
- Q1
- 1.96
- Min
- 0.41
ABBV’s P/S Ratio of 5.83 is in the upper echelon for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
COST
1.63
Discount Stores Industry
- Max
- 2.07
- Q3
- 1.63
- Median
- 0.96
- Q1
- 0.64
- Min
- 0.43
COST’s P/S Ratio of 1.63 is in the upper echelon for the Discount Stores industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
Price-to-Book Ratio
ABBV
235.67
Drug Manufacturers - General Industry
- Max
- 7.80
- Q3
- 7.80
- Median
- 5.30
- Q1
- 4.06
- Min
- 1.08
The P/B Ratio is often not a primary valuation metric for the Drug Manufacturers - General industry.
COST
16.15
Discount Stores Industry
- Max
- 16.12
- Q3
- 9.30
- Median
- 5.40
- Q1
- 3.27
- Min
- 2.73
At 16.15, COST’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Discount Stores industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | ABBV | COST |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 79.77 | 55.87 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 7.21 | 5.06 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 5.83 | 1.63 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | 235.67 | 16.15 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 21.73 | 59.82 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 24.39 | 37.31 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 6.96 | 1.61 |