Costco (COST) vs. Coca-Cola (KO)
This page compares Costco (COST) with Coca-Cola (KO) using historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation metrics.
Company Profile
Costco (COST) and Coca-Cola (KO) share the Consumer Staples sector but sit in different industry groups — COST in Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail and KO in Food, Beverage & Tobacco.
| Symbol | COST | KO |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Costco Wholesale Corporation | The Coca-Cola Company |
| Country/Region | United States | United States |
| GICS Sector | Consumer Staples | Consumer Staples |
| GICS Industry Group | Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail | Food, Beverage & Tobacco |
| GICS Industry | Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail | Beverages |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Consumer Staples Merchandise Retail | Soft Drinks & Non-alcoholic Beverages |
| Market Capitalization | 466.03 billion USD | 349.23 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NasdaqGS | NYSE |
| Listing Date | July 9, 1986 | January 2, 1962 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | COST | KO |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 0.14% | 0.43% |
| 13-Week Price Return | 6.34% | 2.86% |
| 26-Week Price Return | 13.55% | 14.21% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 2.45% | 12.97% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 3.54% | 3.06% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 21.81% | 16.11% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 2.08M | 14.55M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 2.02M | 16.70M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 18.93% | 16.44% |
| Beta | 0.92 | 0.37 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
Both Costco (COST) at 28.81% and Coca-Cola (KO) at 43.62% rank in the top quartile for Return on Equity (TTM) among industry peers, indicating strong returns on shareholders’ equity.
COST
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group
28.81%
- Max
- 36.06%
- Q3
- 22.26%
- Median
- 14.31%
- Q1
- 8.17%
- Min
- -4.97%
KO
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
43.62%
- Max
- 43.89%
- Q3
- 22.49%
- Median
- 11.74%
- Q1
- 4.10%
- Min
- -21.55%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
Coca-Cola (KO) at 27.80% ranks in the top quartile for Net Profit Margin (TTM), ahead of Costco (COST) at 2.99%, which sits closer to the industry mid-range.
COST
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group
2.99%
- Max
- 6.61%
- Q3
- 3.54%
- Median
- 2.37%
- Q1
- 1.17%
- Min
- -0.25%
KO
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
27.80%
- Max
- 27.80%
- Q3
- 12.39%
- Median
- 5.93%
- Q1
- 1.61%
- Min
- -14.07%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
Coca-Cola (KO) at 30.01% ranks in the top quartile for Operating Profit Margin (TTM), ahead of Costco (COST) at 3.82%, which sits closer to the industry mid-range.
COST
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group
3.82%
- Max
- 8.84%
- Q3
- 4.77%
- Median
- 3.65%
- Q1
- 1.28%
- Min
- -1.18%
KO
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
30.01%
- Max
- 30.01%
- Q3
- 15.34%
- Median
- 8.52%
- Q1
- 3.58%
- Min
- -9.05%
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | COST | KO |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 28.81% | 43.62% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 10.72% | 13.07% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 2.99% | 27.80% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 3.82% | 30.01% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 12.93% | 61.74% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Both Costco (COST) at 1.06 and Coca-Cola (KO) at 1.36 carry Current Ratio (MRQ) within their industry mid-ranges, suggesting balanced short-term liquidity relative to peers.
COST
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group
1.06
- Max
- 1.93
- Q3
- 1.37
- Median
- 1.14
- Q1
- 0.93
- Min
- 0.60
KO
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
1.36
- Max
- 4.41
- Q3
- 2.60
- Median
- 1.55
- Q1
- 1.01
- Min
- 0.45
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
Both Costco (COST) at 0.18 and Coca-Cola (KO) at 1.31 post Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) near their industry mid-ranges, so neither company stands out strongly from peers on leverage.
COST
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group
0.18
- Max
- 2.56
- Q3
- 1.23
- Median
- 0.54
- Q1
- 0.18
- Min
- 0.00
KO
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
1.31
- Max
- 2.65
- Q3
- 1.32
- Median
- 0.77
- Q1
- 0.33
- Min
- 0.00
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
Both Costco (COST) at 91.27 and Coca-Cola (KO) at 67.13 post Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) above their industry benchmark ranges, indicating wide cushions to cover interest expense from operating income or EBIT.
COST
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group
91.27
- Max
- 20.24
- Q3
- 20.10
- Median
- 9.06
- Q1
- 3.31
- Min
- -8.07
KO
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
67.13
- Max
- 33.34
- Q3
- 18.06
- Median
- 6.63
- Q1
- 2.93
- Min
- -11.45
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | COST | KO |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.06 | 1.36 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 0.59 | 1.01 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.18 | 1.31 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 91.27 | 67.13 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Revenue Growth at a Glance
| Symbol | COST | KO |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (MRQ vs Prior YoY) | 9.22% | 12.07% |
| Revenue Growth (TTM vs Prior YoY) | 8.40% | 5.11% |
| 3-Year Revenue CAGR | 6.64% | 3.69% |
| 5-Year Revenue CAGR | 10.54% | 7.75% |
EPS Growth
EPS Growth at a Glance
| Symbol | COST | KO |
|---|---|---|
| EPS Growth (MRQ vs Prior YoY) | 13.93% | 17.81% |
| EPS Growth (TTM vs Prior YoY) | 12.26% | 27.18% |
| 3-Year EPS CAGR | 11.51% | 11.48% |
| 5-Year EPS CAGR | 15.10% | 11.14% |
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both Costco (COST) at 0.61% and Coca-Cola (KO) at 3.14% report Dividend Yield (TTM) near their industry mid-ranges, so neither company stands out strongly from peers on cash yield relative to share price.
COST
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group
0.61%
- Max
- 4.01%
- Q3
- 1.95%
- Median
- 0.76%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
KO
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
3.14%
- Max
- 10.52%
- Q3
- 4.54%
- Median
- 3.03%
- Q1
- 0.49%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
Both Costco (COST) at 33.01% and Coca-Cola (KO) at 80.07% maintain Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) around their industries’ median — balanced dividend policy on both sides, returning cash while leaving part of reported earnings available for reinvestment or balance-sheet flexibility.
COST
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group
33.01%
- Max
- 59.68%
- Q3
- 34.35%
- Median
- 20.99%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
KO
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
80.07%
- Max
- 195.44%
- Q3
- 88.50%
- Median
- 60.35%
- Q1
- 14.76%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | COST | KO |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.61% | 3.14% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 33.01% | 80.07% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
Coca-Cola (KO) at 25.51 carries typical industry Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM), while Costco (COST) at 54.03 sits in the higher-multiple quartile — COST carries a higher trailing earnings multiple relative to peers.
COST
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group
54.03
- Max
- 54.03
- Q3
- 39.03
- Median
- 20.43
- Q1
- 15.85
- Min
- 12.19
KO
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
25.51
- Max
- 43.72
- Q3
- 27.60
- Median
- 18.51
- Q1
- 12.63
- Min
- 1.67
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
Costco (COST) at 1.61 sits in the higher-multiple quartile for Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM), but Coca-Cola (KO) at 7.09 is higher still, above its industry benchmark range — both carry elevated trailing revenue multiples relative to peers, with KO higher.
COST
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group
1.61
- Max
- 1.76
- Q3
- 0.91
- Median
- 0.52
- Q1
- 0.29
- Min
- 0.10
KO
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
7.09
- Max
- 5.24
- Q3
- 2.62
- Median
- 1.12
- Q1
- 0.62
- Min
- 0.15
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
Both Costco (COST) at 14.09 and Coca-Cola (KO) at 9.81 sit above their industries’ benchmark ranges for Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ), pointing to unusually high book-value multiples relative to peers.
COST
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group
14.09
- Max
- 9.93
- Q3
- 5.88
- Median
- 3.71
- Q1
- 1.93
- Min
- 0.79
KO
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
9.81
- Max
- 6.13
- Q3
- 3.53
- Median
- 2.25
- Q1
- 1.25
- Min
- 0.63
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | COST | KO |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 54.03 | 25.51 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 1.61 | 7.09 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 14.09 | 9.81 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 50.76 | 27.83 |