COST vs. NVO: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on October 4, 2025

Here’s a clear look at COST and NVO, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Profile

COST is a standard domestic listing, while NVO trades as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), offering U.S. investors access to its foreign-listed shares.

Symbol	COST	NVO
Company Name	Costco Wholesale Corporation	Novo Nordisk A/S
Country	United States	Denmark
GICS Sector	Consumer Staples	Health Care
GICS Industry	Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail	Pharmaceuticals
Market Capitalization	406.60 billion USD	241.93 billion USD
Exchange	NasdaqGS	NYSE
Listing Date	July 9, 1986	April 30, 1981
Security Type	Common Stock	ADR

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of COST and NVO 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.

COST vs. NVO: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	COST	NVO
5-Day Price Return	-2.08%	-7.24%
13-Week Price Return	-6.50%	-21.94%
26-Week Price Return	-0.44%	-34.82%
52-Week Price Return	4.52%	67.26%
Month-to-Date Return	-1.88%	-3.94%
Year-to-Date Return	1.02%	-44.79%
10-Day Avg. Volume	3.12M	6.48M
3-Month Avg. Volume	2.22M	6.47M
3-Month Volatility	15.94%	62.40%
Beta	0.98	1.56

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

COST

30.47%

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail Industry

Max: 36.53%
Q3: 21.48%
Median: 13.14%
Q1: 8.11%
Min: -9.87%

In the upper quartile for the Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry, COST’s Return on Equity of 30.47% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.

NVO

77.86%

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 38.59%
Q3: 19.84%
Median: 11.85%
Q1: 5.40%
Min: -10.91%

NVO’s Return on Equity of 77.86% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Pharmaceuticals industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.

COST vs. NVO: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail and Pharmaceuticals industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

COST

2.94%

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail Industry

Max: 7.25%
Q3: 3.98%
Median: 2.77%
Q1: 1.73%
Min: -0.70%

COST’s Net Profit Margin of 2.94% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

NVO

35.61%

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 40.67%
Q3: 19.07%
Median: 12.31%
Q1: 4.50%
Min: -9.91%

A Net Profit Margin of 35.61% places NVO in the upper quartile for the Pharmaceuticals industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

COST vs. NVO: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail and Pharmaceuticals industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

COST

3.77%

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail Industry

Max: 9.42%
Q3: 5.61%
Median: 4.18%
Q1: 2.72%
Min: 0.23%

COST’s Operating Profit Margin of 3.77% is around the midpoint for the Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

NVO

45.78%

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 45.78%
Q3: 23.14%
Median: 16.68%
Q1: 7.98%
Min: -7.13%

An Operating Profit Margin of 45.78% places NVO in the upper quartile for the Pharmaceuticals industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.

COST vs. NVO: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail and Pharmaceuticals industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	COST	NVO
Return on Equity (TTM)	30.47%	77.86%
Return on Assets (TTM)	10.83%	24.22%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	2.94%	35.61%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	3.77%	45.78%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	12.84%	83.95%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

COST

1.03

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail Industry

Max: 1.76
Q3: 1.28
Median: 0.98
Q1: 0.82
Min: 0.49

COST’s Current Ratio of 1.03 aligns with the median group of the Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

NVO

0.78

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 4.65
Q3: 2.64
Median: 1.85
Q1: 1.26
Min: 0.78

NVO’s Current Ratio of 0.78 falls into the lower quartile for the Pharmaceuticals industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

COST vs. NVO: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail and Pharmaceuticals industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

COST

0.20

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail Industry

Max: 3.61
Q3: 1.64
Median: 1.00
Q1: 0.30
Min: 0.00

Falling into the lower quartile for the Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry, COST’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.20 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.

NVO

0.59

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 1.75
Q3: 0.82
Median: 0.35
Q1: 0.13
Min: 0.00

NVO’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.59 is typical for the Pharmaceuticals industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

COST vs. NVO: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail and Pharmaceuticals industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

COST

91.27

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail Industry

Max: 24.36
Q3: 13.75
Median: 5.79
Q1: 3.04
Min: -5.51

With an Interest Coverage Ratio of 91.27, COST demonstrates a superior capacity to service its debt, placing it well above the typical range for the Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry. This stems from either robust earnings or a conservative debt load.

NVO

149.07

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 103.95
Q3: 43.60
Median: 9.83
Q1: 2.37
Min: -42.71

With an Interest Coverage Ratio of 149.07, NVO demonstrates a superior capacity to service its debt, placing it well above the typical range for the Pharmaceuticals industry. This stems from either robust earnings or a conservative debt load.

COST vs. NVO: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail and Pharmaceuticals industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	COST	NVO
Current Ratio (MRQ)	1.03	0.78
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	0.55	0.56
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	0.20	0.59
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	91.27	149.07

Growth

Revenue Growth

COST vs. NVO: A side-by-side comparison of their Revenue Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

EPS Growth

COST vs. NVO: A side-by-side comparison of their EPS Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

Dividend

Dividend Yield (TTM)

COST

0.54%

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail Industry

Max: 6.08%
Q3: 3.33%
Median: 1.77%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

COST’s Dividend Yield of 0.54% is consistent with its peers in the Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

NVO

3.34%

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 7.14%
Q3: 3.45%
Median: 2.17%
Q1: 0.33%
Min: 0.00%

NVO’s Dividend Yield of 3.34% is consistent with its peers in the Pharmaceuticals industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

COST vs. NVO: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail and Pharmaceuticals industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

COST

34.59%

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail Industry

Max: 172.48%
Q3: 103.93%
Median: 54.70%
Q1: 24.82%
Min: 0.00%

COST’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 34.59% is within the typical range for the Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

NVO

61.60%

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 199.58%
Q3: 97.17%
Median: 53.47%
Q1: 22.97%
Min: 0.00%

NVO’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 61.60% is within the typical range for the Pharmaceuticals industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

COST vs. NVO: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail and Pharmaceuticals industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	COST	NVO
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.54%	3.34%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	34.59%	61.60%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

COST

50.20

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail Industry

Max: 47.99
Q3: 30.23
Median: 22.19
Q1: 16.85
Min: 4.52

At 50.20, COST’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.

NVO

13.78

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 45.19
Q3: 27.91
Median: 20.59
Q1: 15.08
Min: 3.79

In the lower quartile for the Pharmaceuticals industry, NVO’s P/E Ratio of 13.78 suggests the stock may be undervalued compared to its peers, potentially presenting an attractive entry point for investors.

COST vs. NVO: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail and Pharmaceuticals industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

COST

1.48

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail Industry

Max: 1.79
Q3: 0.96
Median: 0.53
Q1: 0.37
Min: 0.06

COST’s P/S Ratio of 1.48 is in the upper echelon for the Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail 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.

NVO

4.90

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 8.87
Q3: 4.56
Median: 2.14
Q1: 1.58
Min: 0.11

NVO’s P/S Ratio of 4.90 is in the upper echelon for the Pharmaceuticals 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 vs. NVO: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail and Pharmaceuticals industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

COST

14.34

Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail Industry

Max: 8.68
Q3: 4.97
Median: 2.98
Q1: 1.86
Min: 0.46

At 14.34, COST’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail 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.

NVO

8.87

Pharmaceuticals Industry

Max: 9.78
Q3: 4.99
Median: 2.48
Q1: 1.53
Min: 0.59

NVO’s P/B Ratio of 8.87 is in the upper tier for the Pharmaceuticals industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.

COST vs. NVO: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail and Pharmaceuticals industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	COST	NVO
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	50.20	13.78
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	1.48	4.90
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	14.34	8.87
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	51.88	23.23