COMPARE · Data as of August 21, 2026
BJ vs COST
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. BJ scored 53.6, COST scored 39.9 — BJ leads.
Compare another set
Different reporting periods. BJ's fundamentals are as of May 2026, but COST's are as of August 2025 — a 8-month gap. Growth, margin and valuation figures below therefore describe different windows and aren't strictly like-for-like.
BJ
BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc.
53.6
$96.42 · $12.3B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
13.7
BJ leads
COST
Costco Wholesale Corporation
39.9
$947.74 · $420.3B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
- CheapestBJ22.2x
- Fastest growthCOST+8.2%
- Strongest balance sheetCOST0.60
- Highest qualityCOST76 / 100
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
Growth against the P/E multiple. Up and to the right is cheaper and faster — the quality-growth idea in one picture. Points beyond the axis are pinned to the edge and marked off-scale rather than allowed to compress everything else.
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
BJ
stronger →← stronger
COST
74
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
76
65
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
72
32
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
12
COST is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
BJ
COST
$218mC
FCF
$7.8bB+
+5.9%C+
Rev
+8.2%B
1.35C+
D/E
0.60B+
22.2xB
P/E
47.6xD
2.21C
PEG
4.64D
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
BJ
COST
243% above
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
177% above
~38%/yr
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~33%/yr
-73%
1-yr DCF upside
-67%
-71%
5-yr DCF upside
-64%
-68%
10-yr DCF upside
-59%
These two disagree on this pair: the Value pillar ranks cheapness against sector peers, while price-vs-fair-value is an absolute read. A name can be the better value in its sector and still the dearer one on cash flows.
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
BJ
Why this score
- Buying back stock
- Durable high returns
COST
Why this score
- Raising its dividend
- Durable high returns
The companies
BJBJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc.
Why now
Discount Stores · market cap $12.3b. 9% off the 52-week high of $105.78. 20 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $102.95 (implying +7% upside).
Moat
ROE 27% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which.
Risk
Net margin 2.6% is thin — operating leverage cuts both ways; input-cost inflation or pricing pressure hits the bottom line first.
COSTCostco Wholesale Corporation
Why now
Discount Stores · market cap $420.3b. 14% off the 52-week high of $1096.50. 35 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $1,077 (implying +14% upside).
Moat
ROE 24% sits above Buffett's preferred 15% threshold — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately. FCF converts 97% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined. $420.3b market cap places it among the largest companies in the sector — distribution, R&D, and customer-acquisition costs amortize across a base peers can't replicate.
Risk
Trailing P/E 48x sits well above the S&P median (~20x) — multiple compression is a real risk if revenue growth decelerates. Net margin 2.9% is thin — operating leverage cuts both ways; input-cost inflation or pricing pressure hits the bottom line first.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Where BJ and COST diverge
On the headline score the gap is 13.7 points in favor of BJ. They get there differently, though — each leads on a different pillar, so the better pick depends on which you weight.
- ValueBJ 32.1 · COST 11.6BJ +20.5
- GrowthBJ 65.1 · COST 72.5COST +7.4
- QualityBJ 73.7 · COST 75.7level
Pillars run 0–100 against sector peers, so a score is a statement about a company relative to its own industry rather than to the other name here. A wide Value gap usually means the market already prices the difference in quality or growth — which is the trade-off this comparison comes down to.