Costco (COST) vs. Philip Morris International (PM)
This page compares Costco (COST) with Philip Morris International (PM) using historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation metrics.
Company Profile
Costco (COST) and Philip Morris International (PM) share the Consumer Staples sector but sit in different industry groups — COST in Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail and PM in Food, Beverage & Tobacco.
| Symbol | COST | PM |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | Costco Wholesale Corporation | Philip Morris International Inc. |
| 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 | Tobacco |
| GICS Sub-Industry | Consumer Staples Merchandise Retail | Tobacco |
| Market Capitalization | 466.03 billion USD | 293.73 billion USD |
| Currency | USD | USD |
| Exchange | NasdaqGS | NYSE |
| Listing Date | July 9, 1986 | March 17, 2008 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | Common Stock |
Historical Performance
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | COST | PM |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 0.14% | -0.61% |
| 13-Week Price Return | 6.34% | 2.70% |
| 26-Week Price Return | 13.55% | 21.47% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 2.45% | 7.91% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 3.54% | 14.17% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 21.81% | 17.49% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 2.08M | 5.46M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 2.02M | 5.20M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 18.93% | 34.48% |
| Beta | 0.92 | 0.43 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
Philip Morris International (PM) leads with Return on Equity (TTM) of 575.44%, above its industry benchmark range, while Costco (COST) at 28.81% also ranks strongly in the top quartile.
COST
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group
28.81%
- Max
- 36.06%
- Q3
- 22.26%
- Median
- 14.31%
- Q1
- 8.17%
- Min
- -4.97%
PM
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
575.44%
- Max
- 43.89%
- Q3
- 22.49%
- Median
- 11.74%
- Q1
- 4.10%
- Min
- -21.55%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
Philip Morris International (PM) at 26.74% 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%
PM
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
26.74%
- Max
- 27.80%
- Q3
- 12.39%
- Median
- 5.93%
- Q1
- 1.61%
- Min
- -14.07%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
Philip Morris International (PM) posts Operating Profit Margin (TTM) of 36.73%, above its industry benchmark range, while Costco (COST) at 3.82% 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%
PM
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
36.73%
- Max
- 30.01%
- Q3
- 15.34%
- Median
- 8.52%
- Q1
- 3.58%
- Min
- -9.05%
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | COST | PM |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 28.81% | 575.44% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 10.72% | 16.22% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 2.99% | 26.74% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 3.82% | 36.73% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 12.93% | 67.30% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
Costco (COST) at 1.06 keeps Current Ratio (MRQ) within its industry mid-range, while Philip Morris International (PM) at 0.98 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for PM.
COST
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group
1.06
- Max
- 1.93
- Q3
- 1.37
- Median
- 1.14
- Q1
- 0.93
- Min
- 0.60
PM
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
0.98
- Max
- 4.41
- Q3
- 2.60
- Median
- 1.55
- Q1
- 1.01
- Min
- 0.45
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
Costco (COST) at 0.18 is around its industry mid-range for Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ), while Philip Morris International (PM) at 186.08 sits above its industry benchmark range, pointing to a heavier debt load relative to equity.
COST
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group
0.18
- Max
- 2.56
- Q3
- 1.23
- Median
- 0.54
- Q1
- 0.18
- Min
- 0.00
PM
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
186.08
- Max
- 2.65
- Q3
- 1.32
- Median
- 0.77
- Q1
- 0.33
- Min
- 0.00
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
Costco (COST) posts Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) of 91.27, above its industry benchmark range, while Philip Morris International (PM) at 15.37 sits closer to the industry mid-range.
COST
Consumer Staples Distribution & Retail industry group
91.27
- Max
- 20.24
- Q3
- 20.10
- Median
- 9.06
- Q1
- 3.31
- Min
- -8.07
PM
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
15.37
- Max
- 33.34
- Q3
- 18.06
- Median
- 6.63
- Q1
- 2.93
- Min
- -11.45
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | COST | PM |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.06 | 0.98 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 0.59 | 0.54 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 0.18 | 186.08 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 91.27 | 15.37 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
Revenue Growth at a Glance
| Symbol | COST | PM |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (MRQ vs Prior YoY) | 9.22% | 9.09% |
| Revenue Growth (TTM vs Prior YoY) | 8.40% | 8.09% |
| 3-Year Revenue CAGR | 6.64% | 8.57% |
| 5-Year Revenue CAGR | 10.54% | 7.21% |
EPS Growth
EPS Growth at a Glance
| Symbol | COST | PM |
|---|---|---|
| EPS Growth (MRQ vs Prior YoY) | 13.93% | -9.49% |
| EPS Growth (TTM vs Prior YoY) | 12.26% | 45.86% |
| 3-Year EPS CAGR | 11.51% | 7.70% |
| 5-Year EPS CAGR | 15.10% | 7.09% |
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
Both Costco (COST) at 0.61% and Philip Morris International (PM) at 3.00% 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%
PM
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
3.00%
- 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 Philip Morris International (PM) at 79.44% 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%
PM
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
79.44%
- Max
- 195.44%
- Q3
- 88.50%
- Median
- 60.35%
- Q1
- 14.76%
- Min
- 0.00%
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | COST | PM |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.61% | 3.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 33.01% | 79.44% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
Philip Morris International (PM) at 26.47 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
PM
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
26.47
- 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 Philip Morris International (PM) at 7.08 is higher still, above its industry benchmark range — both carry elevated trailing revenue multiples relative to peers, with PM 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
PM
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
7.08
- 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 Philip Morris International (PM) at 1,368.86 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
PM
Food, Beverage & Tobacco industry group
1,368.86
- Max
- 6.13
- Q3
- 3.53
- Median
- 2.25
- Q1
- 1.25
- Min
- 0.63
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | COST | PM |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 54.03 | 26.47 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 1.61 | 7.08 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 14.09 | 1,368.86 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 50.76 | 25.72 |