Amazon.com (AMZN) vs Costco Wholesale (COST)
Head-to-head comparison of performance, valuation, growth, profitability and dividends. Prices delayed 15 minutes; data as of Oct 8, 2026.
Summary
Amazon.com (AMZN) has outperformed Costco Wholesale (COST) over the past year, gaining 17.2% versus a gain of 3.0%. Over five years, COST leads with a +108.3% price change compared with +52.5% for AMZN. Amazon.com is the larger company by market cap ($2.74 trillion vs $420.05 billion), about 6.5 times the size.
On valuation, Amazon.com trades at a lower forward P/E (24.3x vs 37.9x for Costco Wholesale). Costco Wholesale pays a dividend yielding 0.58%, while Amazon.com does not currently pay one. Amazon.com converts more of its revenue into profit, with a net margin of 10.8% versus 3.0%.
Summary generated from market data by MetaCap's automated system. Methodology
Relative performance
Percent change in share price from the first common trading day shown; excludes dividends.
Head-to-head
| Metric | AMZN | COST |
|---|---|---|
| Share price | $254.06 | $947.92 |
| Market cap | $2.74T | $420.05B |
| 1-day change | -2.25% | +0.60% |
| YTD return | +12.61% | +9.27% |
| 1-year return | +17.20% | +3.00% |
| 5-year return | +52.49% | +108.28% |
| P/E ratio (TTM) | 20.44 | 45.66 |
| Forward P/E | 24.27 | 37.92 |
| EPS (TTM) | $12.43 | $20.76 |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.58% |
| Annual dividend | $0.00 | $5.54 |
| Revenue (latest FY) | $716.92B | $303.15B |
| Revenue growth (YoY) | +12.38% | +10.14% |
| Net income (latest FY) | $77.67B | $9.23B |
| Gross margin | 50.29% | 12.82% |
| Operating margin | 11.16% | 3.85% |
| Net margin | 10.83% | 3.04% |
| 52-week high | $287.20 | $1,096.50 |
| 52-week low | $196.00 | $844.06 |
| Distance from 52-week high | -11.54% | -13.55% |
| Analyst consensus | strong_buy | buy |
| Avg. price target upside | +30.49% | +11.61% |
| Average volume | 39.18M | 2.11M |
| Shares outstanding | 10.79B | 443.13M |
| Employees | 1,595,000 | — |
| Sector | Consumer Discretionary | Consumer Discretionary |
| Industry | Catalog/Specialty Distribution | Department/Specialty Retail Stores |
Highlighted cells mark the higher value for growth, returns, margins and yield, and the lower value for P/E ratios. Highlighting is a mechanical comparison, not a recommendation.
Key differences
- Amazon.com is about 6.5 times larger than Costco Wholesale by market value ($2.74T vs $420.05B).
- AMZN has outperformed COST by 14.2 percentage points over the past year.
- Costco Wholesale trades at a higher earnings multiple (45.7x vs 20.4x trailing P/E).
- Amazon.com is more profitable, keeping 10.8 cents of every revenue dollar as net income versus 3.0 cents for Costco Wholesale.
About Amazon.com
AMZN stock →Amazon.com, Inc. engages in the retail sale of consumer products, advertising, and subscriptions service through online and physical stores in North America and internationally.
Consumer Discretionary · Catalog/Specialty Distribution · 1,595,000 employees
About Costco Wholesale
COST stock →Costco Wholesale Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the operation of membership warehouses in the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico, Japan, the United Kingdom, Korea, Australia, Taiwan, China, Spain, France, Iceland, New Zealand, and Sweden. It offers merchandise, including sundries, dry groceries, candies, coolers, freezers, deli, liquor, and tobacco; non-food merchandise comprising appliances, small electronics, health and beauty aids, hardware, lawn and garden, sporting goods, tires, toys and seasonal, automotive, stamps, tickets, apparel, furniture, domestics, housewares, special order kiosks, and jewelry; and fresh food, such as meat, produce, service deli, and bakery products.
Consumer Discretionary · Department/Specialty Retail Stores
AMZN vs COST FAQ
Which is bigger, Amazon.com or Costco Wholesale?
Amazon.com (AMZN) is larger, with a market capitalization of $2.74T compared with $420.05B for Costco Wholesale (COST).
Which stock has performed better over the past year, AMZN or COST?
AMZN returned +17.20% over the past 12 months, compared with +3.00% for COST (price return, excluding dividends). Past performance does not predict future results.
Which has the lower P/E ratio, AMZN or COST?
AMZN has the lower trailing P/E at 20.4, versus 45.7 for COST. A lower P/E is not by itself a sign of a better investment; it can reflect slower expected growth or higher risk.
Which pays a higher dividend, Amazon.com or Costco Wholesale?
Costco Wholesale pays a dividend yielding 0.58%, while Amazon.com does not currently pay a regular dividend.
Are Amazon.com and Costco Wholesale in the same industry?
Both are in the Consumer Discretionary sector, but in different industries: Catalog/Specialty Distribution for Amazon.com and Department/Specialty Retail Stores for Costco Wholesale.