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ABBV vs. COST: AbbVie vs. Costco Wholesale Stock Comparison

How do AbbVie (ABBV) and Costco Wholesale (COST) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

AbbVie (ABBV) is classified in the Health Care sector (Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences), whereas Costco Wholesale (COST) belongs to Consumer Staples (Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail) — their GICS classifications point to very different parts of the market.

Company profile comparison for AbbVie (ABBV) and Costco Wholesale (COST)
Profile ItemABBVCOST
NameAbbVie Inc.Costco Wholesale Corp
Country/RegionUnited StatesUnited States
GICS SectorHealth CareConsumer Staples
GICS Industry GroupPharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life SciencesConsumer Staples Distribution & Retail
GICS IndustryBiotechnologyConsumer Staples Distribution & Retail
GICS Sub-IndustryBiotechnologyConsumer Staples Merchandise Retail
Market Capitalization514.92 billion USD466.86 billion USD
CurrencyUSDUSD
ExchangeNYSENasdaq
Listing DateJanuary 2, 2013July 9, 1986
Security TypeCommon StockCommon Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

ABBV
COST
GSPC
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AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Costco Wholesale (COST), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for AbbVie (ABBV) and Costco Wholesale (COST). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for AbbVie (ABBV) and Costco Wholesale (COST). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for AbbVie (ABBV) and Costco Wholesale (COST)
MetricABBVCOST
Total Return (1Y)37.33%14.87%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)32.74%24.84%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)24.73%16.92%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

ABBV
COST
GSPC
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AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Costco Wholesale (COST), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for AbbVie (ABBV) and Costco Wholesale (COST). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for AbbVie (ABBV) and Costco Wholesale (COST)
MetricABBVCOST
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)25.65%20.30%
Beta (5Y)0.210.84
Max Drawdown (5Y)-21.92%-31.40%
Avg. Volume (3M)4.76M2.15M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

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ABBV and COST are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. Each dashed Capital Allocation Line uses that stock's own industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for AbbVie (ABBV) and Costco Wholesale (COST)
MetricABBVCOST
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)1.290.52
Sortino Ratio (1Y)2.020.77

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Capital efficiency shows on one side only: Costco Wholesale (COST) earns 28.40% on shareholders’ equity, ranked against its industry; AbbVie (ABBV) has no ROE this period.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

--

Max
109.18%
Q3
6.23%
Median
-26.66%
Q1
-64.05%
Min
-167.77%
ABBV
--

COST

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group

28.40%

Max
33.48%
COST
28.40%
Q3
22.31%
Median
15.57%
Q1
7.66%
Min
-2.27%
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AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Costco Wholesale (COST): ABBV does not report ROE, so it has no value marker; COST is benchmarked against the Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group.

Net Margin (TTM)

AbbVie (ABBV) at 15.67% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Costco Wholesale (COST) at 3.04%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

15.67%

Max
18.05%
ABBV
15.67%
Q3
4.78%
Median
0.00%
Q1
-4.14%
Min
-17.05%

COST

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group

3.04%

Max
5.45%
Q3
3.42%
COST
3.04%
Median
2.44%
Q1
1.86%
Min
-0.06%
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AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Costco Wholesale (COST): A comparison of their net margin against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

Operating Margin (TTM)

AbbVie (ABBV) at 39.59% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Costco Wholesale (COST) at 3.79%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

39.59%

Max
83.12%
ABBV
39.59%
Q3
14.77%
Median
0.00%
Q1
-78.82%
Min
-207.40%

COST

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group

3.79%

Max
6.81%
Q3
5.49%
Median
3.84%
COST
3.79%
Q1
2.00%
Min
0.97%
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AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Costco Wholesale (COST): A comparison of their operating margin against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for AbbVie (ABBV) and Costco Wholesale (COST)
MetricABBVCOST
ROE (TTM)--28.40%
ROA (TTM)10.74%8.66%
Net Margin (TTM)15.67%3.04%
Operating Margin (TTM)39.59%3.79%
Gross Margin (TTM)73.72%12.77%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both AbbVie (ABBV) at 8.57% and Costco Wholesale (COST) at 10.14% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

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AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Costco Wholesale (COST): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Only one side can be read here: AbbVie (ABBV) reports EPS growth of -0.84%, ranked against its industry; Costco Wholesale (COST) has no EPS growth figure this period.

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AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Costco Wholesale (COST): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for AbbVie (ABBV) and Costco Wholesale (COST)
MetricABBVCOST
Revenue Growth (YoY)8.57%10.14%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)1.75%7.76%
EPS Growth (YoY)-0.84%--
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)-29.03%--

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Costco Wholesale (COST) at 1.06 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while AbbVie (ABBV) at 0.87 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for ABBV.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

0.87

Max
25.13
Q3
12.13
Median
5.52
Q1
2.47
ABBV
0.87
Min
0.10

COST

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group

1.06

Max
2.04
Q3
1.45
Median
1.17
COST
1.06
Q1
1.00
Min
0.69
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AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Costco Wholesale (COST): A comparison of their current ratio against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Only one side’s leverage can be read here: Costco Wholesale (COST) carries debt-to-equity ratio of 0.28 against its industry range, while AbbVie (ABBV) reports no figure this period.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

--

Max
1.42
Q3
0.65
Median
0.15
Q1
0.02
Min
0.00
ABBV
--

COST

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group

0.28

Max
2.59
Q3
1.83
Median
1.24
Q1
0.63
COST
0.28
Min
0.01
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AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Costco Wholesale (COST): ABBV does not report debt-to-equity ratio, so it has no value marker; COST is benchmarked against the Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for AbbVie (ABBV) and Costco Wholesale (COST)
MetricABBVCOST
Current Ratio (MRQ)0.871.06
Debt / Equity (MRQ)--0.28
Net Debt / EBITDA2.21-0.78

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Costco Wholesale (COST) at 0.52% pays an industry-typical yield; AbbVie (ABBV) at 2.40% is above its entire peer range — the higher number, but one that calls for a look at payout sustainability before treating it as an advantage.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

2.40%

ABBV
2.40%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

COST

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group

0.52%

Max
2.90%
Q3
1.72%
COST
0.52%
Median
0.43%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Costco Wholesale (COST): A comparison of their dividend yield against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

AbbVie (ABBV) reports payout ratio above 100% at 117.35%, meaning dividends exceeded current-period earnings and sustainability needs extra context. Meanwhile Costco Wholesale (COST) reports 26.69%, ranking against industry peers normally.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

117.35%

ABBV
117.35%
Max
0.00%
Q3
0.00%
Median
0.00%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%

COST

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group

26.69%

Max
57.98%
Q3
30.05%
COST
26.69%
Median
11.72%
Q1
0.00%
Min
0.00%
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AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Costco Wholesale (COST): A comparison of their payout ratio against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for AbbVie (ABBV) and Costco Wholesale (COST)
MetricABBVCOST
Dividend Yield (TTM)2.40%0.52%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)117.35%26.69%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both AbbVie (ABBV) at 50.05 and Costco Wholesale (COST) at 50.75 sit in the richer earnings-multiple quartile for P/E ratio, so investors are paying more for TTM earnings than they pay for typical peers.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

50.05

Max
85.34
ABBV
50.05
Q3
43.46
Median
26.69
Q1
13.30
Min
0.07

COST

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group

50.75

COST
50.75
Max
50.75
Q3
33.64
Median
22.19
Q1
16.09
Min
9.28
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AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Costco Wholesale (COST): A comparison of their P/E ratio against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

AbbVie (ABBV) at 7.80 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while Costco Wholesale (COST) at 1.54 sits in the pricier quartile — COST costs more per dollar of sales.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

7.80

Max
58.18
Q3
25.77
ABBV
7.80
Median
7.30
Q1
3.01
Min
0.01

COST

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group

1.54

COST
1.54
Max
1.54
Q3
0.81
Median
0.47
Q1
0.26
Min
0.02
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AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Costco Wholesale (COST): A comparison of their P/S ratio against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

AbbVie (ABBV) reports a negative P/B ratio of -112.34, meaning negative book equity — the multiple itself is not meaningful for valuation. Meanwhile Costco Wholesale (COST) reports 13.04, ranking against industry peers normally.

ABBV

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences industry group

-112.34

Max
13.53
Q3
6.54
Median
3.25
Q1
1.69
Min
-5.59
ABBV
-112.34

COST

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group

13.04

COST
13.04
Max
10.15
Q3
6.27
Median
3.70
Q1
1.85
Min
0.93
Loading chart…
AbbVie (ABBV) vs. Costco Wholesale (COST): A comparison of their P/B ratio against their respective Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for AbbVie (ABBV) and Costco Wholesale (COST)
MetricABBVCOST
P/E Ratio (TTM)50.0550.75
P/S Ratio (TTM)7.801.54
P/B Ratio (MRQ)-112.3413.04
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)3.44%1.45%