AMZN vs. COST: Amazon.com vs. Costco Wholesale Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do Amazon.com (AMZN) 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

Amazon.com (AMZN) is classified in the Consumer Discretionary sector (Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail), 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 Amazon.com (AMZN) and Costco Wholesale (COST)
Profile Item	AMZN	COST
Name	Amazon.com Inc.	Costco Wholesale Corp
Country/Region	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Consumer Discretionary	Consumer Staples
GICS Industry Group	Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail	Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail
GICS Industry	Broadline Retail	Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail
GICS Sub-Industry	Broadline Retail	Consumer Staples Merchandise Retail
Market Capitalization	2,803.85 billion USD	466.86 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	Nasdaq	Nasdaq
Listing Date	May 15, 1997	July 9, 1986
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

AMZN

COST

GSPC

Amazon.com (AMZN) 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 Amazon.com (AMZN) and Costco Wholesale (COST). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for Amazon.com (AMZN) and Costco Wholesale (COST)
Metric	AMZN	COST
Total Return (1Y)	9.80%	14.87%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	24.05%	24.84%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	8.46%	16.92%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

AMZN

COST

GSPC

Amazon.com (AMZN) 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 Amazon.com (AMZN) and Costco Wholesale (COST). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for Amazon.com (AMZN) and Costco Wholesale (COST)
Metric	AMZN	COST
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	34.10%	20.30%
Beta (5Y)	1.45	0.84
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-55.73%	-31.40%
Avg. Volume (3M)	38.50M	2.15M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

AMZN 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 Amazon.com (AMZN) and Costco Wholesale (COST)
Metric	AMZN	COST
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	0.16	0.52
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	0.26	0.77

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Costco Wholesale (COST) at 28.40% sits in the top ROE quartile, while Amazon.com (AMZN) at 27.42% is closer to the peer norm — stronger capital efficiency for COST.

AMZN

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

27.42%

Max: 62.17%
Q3: 29.44%
AMZN: 27.42%
Median: 15.69%
Q1: 6.73%
Min: -12.16%

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%

Amazon.com (AMZN) vs. Costco Wholesale (COST): A comparison of their ROE against their respective Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

Net Margin (TTM)

Amazon.com (AMZN) at 16.90% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Costco Wholesale (COST) at 3.04%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

AMZN

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

16.90%

Max: 16.94%
AMZN: 16.90%
Q3: 8.69%
Median: 3.55%
Q1: 1.14%
Min: -9.41%

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%

Amazon.com (AMZN) vs. Costco Wholesale (COST): A comparison of their net margin against their respective Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Amazon.com (AMZN) at 13.90% operates in the top operating margin quartile, ahead of Costco Wholesale (COST) at 3.79%, which runs around its industry’s norm.

AMZN

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

13.90%

Max: 21.45%
AMZN: 13.90%
Q3: 10.89%
Median: 5.57%
Q1: 2.28%
Min: -7.12%

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%

Amazon.com (AMZN) vs. Costco Wholesale (COST): A comparison of their operating margin against their respective Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for Amazon.com (AMZN) and Costco Wholesale (COST)
Metric	AMZN	COST
ROE (TTM)	27.42%	28.40%
ROA (TTM)	6.62%	8.66%
Net Margin (TTM)	16.90%	3.04%
Operating Margin (TTM)	13.90%	3.79%
Gross Margin (TTM)	51.37%	12.77%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Amazon.com (AMZN) at 12.38% sits in the top revenue growth quartile, while Costco Wholesale (COST) at 10.14% is closer to the peer norm — faster top-line expansion for AMZN.

Amazon.com (AMZN) vs. Costco Wholesale (COST): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Only one side can be read here: Amazon.com (AMZN) reports EPS growth of 29.66%, ranked against its industry; Costco Wholesale (COST) has no EPS growth figure this period.

Amazon.com (AMZN) vs. Costco Wholesale (COST): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for Amazon.com (AMZN) and Costco Wholesale (COST)
Metric	AMZN	COST
Revenue Growth (YoY)	12.38%	10.14%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	11.73%	7.76%
EPS Growth (YoY)	29.66%	--
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	--	--

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Costco Wholesale (COST) at 1.06 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while Amazon.com (AMZN) at 0.99 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for AMZN.

AMZN

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

0.99

Max: 2.62
Q3: 1.75
Median: 1.35
Q1: 1.00
AMZN: 0.99
Min: 0.48

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

Amazon.com (AMZN) vs. Costco Wholesale (COST): A comparison of their current ratio against their respective Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Both Amazon.com (AMZN) at 0.50 and Costco Wholesale (COST) at 0.28 keep leverage in the lower quartile of their industries, with less balance-sheet debt relative to equity than most peers.

AMZN

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

0.50

Max: 3.93
Q3: 2.14
Median: 1.25
Q1: 0.73
AMZN: 0.50
Min: 0.01

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

Amazon.com (AMZN) vs. Costco Wholesale (COST): A comparison of their debt-to-equity ratio against their respective Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for Amazon.com (AMZN) and Costco Wholesale (COST)
Metric	AMZN	COST
Current Ratio (MRQ)	0.99	1.06
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	0.50	0.28
Net Debt / EBITDA	1.04	-0.78

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

Amazon.com (AMZN) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Costco Wholesale (COST) reports a yield of 0.52%, ranking against industry peers normally.

AMZN

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

0.00%

Max: 5.84%
Q3: 2.50%
AMZN: 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%

Amazon.com (AMZN) vs. Costco Wholesale (COST): A comparison of their dividend yield against their respective Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

Amazon.com (AMZN) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Costco Wholesale (COST) reports a payout of 26.69%, ranking against industry peers normally.

AMZN

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

0.00%

Max: 72.73%
Q3: 32.44%
AMZN: 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%

Amazon.com (AMZN) vs. Costco Wholesale (COST): A comparison of their payout ratio against their respective Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for Amazon.com (AMZN) and Costco Wholesale (COST)
Metric	AMZN	COST
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	0.52%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	26.69%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Amazon.com (AMZN) at 20.96 is near its industry’s usual P/E ratio, while Costco Wholesale (COST) at 50.75 sits in the richer quartile — COST needs stronger growth or earnings quality to justify the premium.

AMZN

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

20.96

Max: 40.50
Q3: 24.26
AMZN: 20.96
Median: 19.23
Q1: 12.64
Min: 4.67

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

Amazon.com (AMZN) vs. Costco Wholesale (COST): A comparison of their P/E ratio against their respective Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Both Amazon.com (AMZN) at 3.52 and Costco Wholesale (COST) at 1.54 command a richer price per dollar of sales than most peers, sitting in the upper P/S ratio quartile of their industries.

AMZN

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

3.52

Max: 4.32
AMZN: 3.52
Q3: 1.99
Median: 0.70
Q1: 0.26
Min: 0.03

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

Amazon.com (AMZN) vs. Costco Wholesale (COST): A comparison of their P/S ratio against their respective Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Amazon.com (AMZN) at 4.57 sits near its industry’s typical P/B ratio, while Costco Wholesale (COST) at 13.04 prices above its benchmark range — COST looks rich relative to book.

AMZN

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

4.57

Max: 10.96
Q3: 5.26
AMZN: 4.57
Median: 2.16
Q1: 1.08
Min: -4.45

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

Amazon.com (AMZN) vs. Costco Wholesale (COST): A comparison of their P/B ratio against their respective Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail and Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group benchmarks.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for Amazon.com (AMZN) and Costco Wholesale (COST)
Metric	AMZN	COST
P/E Ratio (TTM)	20.96	50.75
P/S Ratio (TTM)	3.52	1.54
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	4.57	13.04
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	-1.24%	1.45%