Compare StocksCOST vs PG

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) vs The Procter & Gamble Company (PG)

COST
Costco Wholesale Corporation
$1011.70
VS
PG
The Procter & Gamble Company
$147.26

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.
PG
  • The Procter & Gamble Company has maintained ROIC above 15% for 4 consecutive years, indicating a durable competitive advantage.
  • The Procter & Gamble Company scores 94/100 on the Economic Moat Score (Wide Moat), with revenue predictability as the strongest competitive dimension.
  • Return on equity has consistently exceeded 20% over 4 years, indicating efficient use of shareholder capital.

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.
PG
  • PEG ratio of 3.72 indicates the stock is expensive relative to its expected growth — the market may be pricing in more growth than analysts project.
  • 7 insider sales totaling $41.0M with no purchases in the past 3 months — insiders are reducing their exposure.

Key Valuation Metrics

Learn more →
COST
PG
Valuation
$6.69B
Free Cash Flow
$12.73B
1.49%
FCF Yield
3.71%
52.64
Trailing P/E
21.56
45.02
Forward P/E
20.77
Quality & Moat
30.54%
ROIC
17.21%
47.71%
ROE
29.19%
12.93%
Gross Margin
50.98%
1.16
PEG Ratio
3.72
Balance Sheet Safety
0.60
Debt / Equity
0.68
N/A
Interest Coverage
N/A
-0.07
Net Debt / EBITDA
0.99
0.58%
Dividend Yield
2.89%
COST: 5Ties: 1PG: 6
COSTPG

Historical Fundamentals

Learn more →
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.

PG

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

Learn more →
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
PG
$-1.57
created per $1 retained over 3 years
Market Cap Declined
Σ Retained
$17.32B
Δ Market Cap
$-27.18B
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

Learn more →
COST
129.0% Overvalued
Price is 129.0% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $1011.70
Fair Value: $441.80
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued
PG
48.5% Overvalued
Price is 48.5% above estimated fair value
Current Price: $147.26
Fair Value: $99.19
Strongly undervalued
Undervalued
Fairly valued
Overvalued
Strongly overvalued

Reverse DCF — Market-Implied Growth

Learn more →
COST

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $1012?

+21.6%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +24.3%

The market implies +21.6% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.

Standard FCF implies a demanding +24.3%, reflecting heavy growth investment.

PG

What growth rate is the market pricing in at $147?

+9.6%
Market-Implied Owner Earnings Growth
Standard FCF implies +12.7%

The market implies +9.6% Owner Earnings growth, above historical trends.

Standard FCF implies a demanding +12.7%, reflecting heavy growth investment.

Economic Moat Score

Learn more →
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.
PG
94/100
Wide Moat
70+ Wide · 40-69 Narrow · <40 None

Wide moat with strength across all dimensions. Revenue Predictability 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.

Forensic Accounting

Learn more →
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.
PG
-2.54
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

Learn more →
COST
Insiders 0.2%Institutions 72.6%Retail & Other 27.2%
No. of Institutional Holders5,063
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.
PG
Insiders 0.1%Institutions 70.2%Retail & Other 29.8%
No. of Institutional Holders4,996
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

Learn more →
COST
0
Buys (3M)
0
Buys (12M)
No open market insider purchases found.
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises
PG
0
Buys (3M)
0
Buys (12M)
No open market insider purchases found.
Open market purchases · includes direct & indirect ownership · excludes option exercises

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

Insider Selling Activity

Learn more →
COST
2
Sells (3M)
15
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $23.76M
FRATES CATON
Officer
$695,100
@ $993.00 · 2026-04-01
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
HINES DANIEL M
Officer
$2.54M
@ $846.37 · 2024-07-15
DENMAN KENNETH D
Director
$298,036
@ $851.53 · 2024-07-15
Direct ownership only · excludes indirect, option exercises, planned (10b5-1) sales & derivatives
PG
7
Sells (3M)
29
Sells (12M)
Total value (12M): $80.66M
FRANCISCO MA. FATIMA
Officer
$917,199
@ $165.29 · 2026-02-27
WHALEY SUSAN STREET
Officer
$288,454
@ $159.45 · 2026-02-19
AGUILAR MOSES VICTOR JAVIER
Officer
$2.46M
@ $162.28 · 2026-02-13
COOMBE GARY A
Officer
$5.86M
@ $162.33 · 2026-02-12
MOELLER JON R
Officer and Director
$28.12M
@ $162.29 · 2026-02-12
PURUSHOTHAMAN BALAJI
Officer
$2.06M
@ $160.31 · 2026-02-11
FRANCISCO MA. FATIMA
Officer
$1.26M
@ $158.00 · 2026-02-04
PRITCHARD MARC S
Officer
$14.50M
@ $151.15 · 2026-01-23
JANZARUK MATTHEW W.
Officer
$108,438
@ $149.57 · 2025-10-30
SCHULTEN ANDRE
Chief Financial Officer
$647,289
@ $152.23 · 2025-10-02
DAVIS JENNIFER L
Officer
$491,252
@ $152.23 · 2025-10-02
WHALEY SUSAN STREET
Officer
$366,574
@ $152.23 · 2025-10-02
PURUSHOTHAMAN BALAJI
Officer
$74,594
@ $152.23 · 2025-10-02
JEJURIKAR SHAILESH
Chief Operating Officer
$606,796
@ $152.23 · 2025-10-02
COOMBE GARY A
Officer
$538,139
@ $152.23 · 2025-10-02
MOELLER JON R
Chief Executive Officer
$1.78M
@ $152.23 · 2025-10-02
WHALEY SUSAN STREET
Officer
$156,835
@ $156.84 · 2025-08-29
RAMAN SUNDAR G.
Officer
$1.51M
@ $158.16 · 2025-08-21
COOMBE GARY A
Officer
$1.61M
@ $158.16 · 2025-08-21
FRANCISCO MA. FATIMA
Officer
$1.43M
@ $157.27 · 2025-08-19
SCHULTEN ANDRE
Chief Financial Officer
$1.83M
@ $157.27 · 2025-08-19
JANZARUK MATTHEW W.
Officer
$50,170
@ $157.27 · 2025-08-19
DAVIS JENNIFER L
Officer
$1.35M
@ $157.27 · 2025-08-19
WHALEY SUSAN STREET
Officer
$969,908
@ $157.27 · 2025-08-19
PURUSHOTHAMAN BALAJI
Officer
$95,308
@ $157.27 · 2025-08-19
JEJURIKAR SHAILESH
Chief Operating Officer
$2.05M
@ $157.27 · 2025-08-19
PRITCHARD MARC S
Officer
$1.55M
@ $157.27 · 2025-08-19
MOELLER JON R
Chief Executive Officer
$6.31M
@ $157.27 · 2025-08-19
AGUILAR MOSES VICTOR JAVIER
Officer
$1.67M
@ $158.67 · 2025-05-05
DAVIS JENNIFER L
Officer
$161,384
@ $161.38 · 2025-04-29
COOMBE GARY A
Officer
$6.08M
@ $173.68 · 2025-02-28
COOMBE GARY A
Officer
$3.09M
@ $171.66 · 2025-02-25
PRITCHARD MARC S
Officer
$14.82M
@ $163.84 · 2025-01-23
COOMBE GARY A
Officer
$8.60M
@ $179.84 · 2024-11-27
PURUSHOTHAMAN BALAJI
Officer
$2.21M
@ $172.73 · 2024-11-21
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

Learn more →
COST
FearGreed
😏Greed(67/100)

"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.
PG
FearGreed
😐Neutral(54/100)

"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.

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

Learn more →
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: Greed (67)
PG
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 (54)
View COST Full AnalysisView PG Full Analysis
COST vs PG: Which Is the Better Buy? | SafetyMargin.io