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Compare Stocks › COST vs PFE

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) vs Pfizer Inc. (PFE)

COST
Costco Wholesale Corporation
$974.78
VS
PFE
Pfizer Inc.
$27.41

Rewards

COST
  • ★Costco Wholesale Corporation has maintained ROIC above 15% for 4 consecutive years, indicating a durable competitive advantage.
  • ★Costco Wholesale Corporation scores 96/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with roic consistency as the strongest competitive dimension.
  • ★Free cash flow has grown at a 30.8% CAGR over the past 4 years, demonstrating strong earnings power growth.
PFE
  • ★Gross margin of 75.8% indicates strong pricing power — typical of businesses with significant intellectual property or brand strength.
  • ★Dividend yield of 6.28% with a consistent or growing payout over the past 4 years.
  • ★FCF yield of 8.6% is historically attractive — the business generates significant cash relative to its price.

Risks

COST
  • ⚠Gross margin of 12.9% is low, suggesting a competitive or commodity-like market with limited pricing power.
  • ⚠Despite buyback spending, shares outstanding increased in 3 out of 4 years — stock-based compensation is offsetting repurchases.
  • ⚠FCF yield of 1.5% is below 3%, meaning the market is pricing in substantial future growth to justify the current price.
PFE
  • ⚠ROIC has declined by 13.9 percentage points over the observed period, which may signal competitive erosion.
  • ⚠Free cash flow has declined at a 29.6% CAGR over the past 4 years — a concerning trend.

Key Valuation Metrics

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COST
PFE
Valuation
$6.69B
Free Cash Flow
$13.43B
1.55%
FCF Yield
8.61%
50.77
Trailing P/E
20.15
43.44
Forward P/E
9.69
Quality & Moat
20.95%
ROIC
7.67%
25.24%
ROE
8.96%
12.93%
Gross Margin
75.81%
3.65
PEG Ratio
N/A
Balance Sheet Safety
0.26
Debt / Equity
0.78
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
-0.74
Net Debt / EBITDA
2.10
0.53%
Dividend Yield
6.28%
COST: 4Ties: 1PFE: 6
COSTPFE

Historical Fundamentals

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COST

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

PFE

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

Price ÷ Earnings Per Share — how many years of current earnings you're paying for at today's price. Lower P/E may indicate undervaluation.

$1 Retained Earnings Test

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COST
$19.41
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Exceptional Value Creator
Σ Retained
$9.28B
Δ Market Cap
+$180.14B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer
PFE
N/A
Net losses over 3 years — test not applicable
Company had negative cumulative retained earnings
Σ Retained
$-10.61B
Δ Market Cap
$-146.18B
Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

Buffett's "$1 Test": For every $1 of earnings retained, has management created at least $1 of market value?
> $1 created per $1 retained = Value Creator · < $1 created = Value Destroyer

Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) Analysis

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COST
111.4% Overvalued
Price is 111.4% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $974.78
Fair Value: $461.18
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
PFE
140.2% Overvalued
Price is 140.2% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $27.41
Fair Value: $11.41
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued

Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth

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COST

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $975?

+20.8%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +23.4%

The market implies +20.8% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.

Standard FCF implies a demanding +23.4%, reflecting heavy growth investment.

PFE

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $27?

+11.8%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +4.3%

The market implies +11.8% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.

Standard FCF implies a demanding +4.3%, reflecting heavy growth investment.

Economic Moat Score

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COST
96/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. ROIC Consistency is the standout factor.

Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 4 years of fundamental data.
PFE
35/100
No Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

No durable moat detected, though reinvestment efficiency shows some competitive positioning. The business lacks consistent evidence of sustainable advantages.

Composite score measuring competitive advantage durability across four dimensions: returns above cost of capital, pricing power stability, revenue predictability, and capital efficiency. Based on 5 years of fundamental data.

Forensic Accounting

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COST
-2.65
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.
PFE
-2.53
Unlikely Manipulator
Above -1.78 = likely manipulator · -2.22 to -1.78 = grey zone

M-Score Trend

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

Beneish's 8-variable model estimates the probability of earnings manipulation. An M-Score above -1.78 signals elevated risk — companies in this range have historically been 3-5× more likely to be manipulating earnings. Scores between -2.22 and -1.78 fall in a grey zone warranting further investigation.

Ownership Breakdown

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COST
Insiders 0.2%Institutions 72.7%Retail & Other 27.2%
No. of Institutional Holders4,997
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.
PFE
Insiders 0.1%Institutions 67.7%Retail & Other 32.2%
No. of Institutional Holders3,693
High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders — a key signal in Buffett-style analysis. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

High insider ownership aligns management incentives with shareholders. Institutional concentration can indicate smart-money conviction but also crowding risk.

Insider Buying Activity

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COST
0
Buys (3M)
0
Buys (12M)
No open market insider purchases found.
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
PFE
0
Buys (3M)
0
Buys (12M)
BLAYLOCK RONALD E
Director
$499,072
@ $25.65 · 2025-02-13
GOTTLIEB SCOTT
Director
$28,240
@ $28.24 · 2024-10-30
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises

Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises.

Insider Selling Activity

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COST
5
Sells (3M)
17
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $28.85M
ADAMO CLAUDINE
Officer
$732,205
@ $1003.02 · 2026-03-09
JONES TERESA A
Officer
$838,318
@ $986.26 · 2026-01-21
DECKER SUSAN LYNNE
Director
$437,390
@ $955.00 · 2026-01-16
KLAUER JAMES C
Officer
$1.41M
@ $939.00 · 2026-01-14
POLIT JAVIER
Officer
$2.26M
@ $866.38 · 2025-12-30
WILCOX WILLIAM RICHARD
Officer
$2.23M
@ $930.13 · 2025-11-07
ADAMO CLAUDINE
Officer
$2.53M
@ $935.68 · 2025-10-24
BARBRE TIFFANY MARIE
Divisional Officer
$1.16M
@ $934.91 · 2025-10-24
FRATES CATON
Officer
$1.40M
@ $910.02 · 2025-09-29
JONES TERESA A
Officer
$595,230
@ $992.05 · 2025-08-20
RUBANENKO YORAM B.
Officer
$3.90M
@ $974.96 · 2025-07-14
DECKER SUSAN LYNNE
Director
$536,058
@ $980.00 · 2025-06-18
CALLANS PATRICK J
Officer
$3.01M
@ $1002.77 · 2025-06-09
RIEL PIERRE
Officer
$2.03M
@ $1014.15 · 2025-06-06
KLAUER JAMES C
Officer
$3.92M
@ $981.07 · 2025-04-17
MILLERCHIP GARY
Officer
$1.03M
@ $940.01 · 2025-03-27
ADAMO CLAUDINE
Officer
$830,304
@ $922.56 · 2025-03-24
FRATES CATON
Officer
$765,213
@ $900.25 · 2025-03-18
VACHRIS ROLAND MICHAEL
Chief Executive Officer
$3.35M
@ $931.00 · 2025-03-11
GALANTI RICHARD ALAN
Officer and Director
$1.27M
@ $894.97 · 2024-10-24
JONES TERESA A
Officer
$717,236
@ $896.54 · 2024-10-23
RIEL PIERRE
Officer
$1.79M
@ $896.71 · 2024-10-15
CALLANS PATRICK J
Officer
$2.23M
@ $893.94 · 2024-09-30
ADAMO CLAUDINE
Officer
$2.84M
@ $888.99 · 2024-09-30
FRATES CATON
Officer
$1.50M
@ $883.35 · 2024-09-30
DECKER SUSAN LYNNE
Director
$543,430
@ $876.50 · 2024-08-15
GALANTI RICHARD ALAN
Officer and Director
$868,962
@ $868.96 · 2024-08-15
JONES TERESA A
Officer
$3,330
@ $832.50 · 2024-07-25
DENMAN KENNETH D
Director
$298,036
@ $851.53 · 2024-07-15
HINES DANIEL M
Officer
$2.54M
@ $846.37 · 2024-07-15
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
PFE
0
Sells (3M)
0
Sells (12M)
DAMICO JENNIFER B.
Officer
$64,825
@ $25.93 · 2025-03-04
DAMICO JENNIFER B.
Officer
$147,714
@ $28.66 · 2024-08-13
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives

Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives.

🎭 Mr. Market's Mood

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COST
FearGreed
😐Neutral(56/100)

"Market is pricing this stock without strong emotion in either direction"

Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.
PFE
FearGreed
😏Greed(64/100)

"Market is optimistic — be cautious and ensure you have a margin of safety"

Composite sentiment score based on 6 market signals. Inspired by Buffett's "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

Composite sentiment score based on market signals. Inspired by Buffett’s "Mr. Market" allegory — fear = potential opportunity, greed = potential risk. Must be used alongside fundamental analysis, not in isolation.

⚖️ Buffett Signal

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COST
⚪Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Neutral (56)
PFE
⚪Awaiting DCF Data

The Buffett Signal cross-references market sentiment with DCF valuation. Configure the DCF Analysis above to generate a signal.

DCF Margin of Safety: N/AMr. Market's Mood: Greed (64)
View COST Full AnalysisView PFE Full Analysis