COMPARE · Data as of August 21, 2026
COST vs SFM
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. COST scored 39.9, SFM scored 65.9 — SFM leads.
Compare another set
Different reporting periods. SFM's fundamentals are as of June 2026, but COST's are as of August 2025 — a 10-month gap. Growth, margin and valuation figures below therefore describe different windows and aren't strictly like-for-like.
COST
Costco Wholesale Corporation
39.9
$947.74 · $420.3B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
26.0
SFM leads
SFM
Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc.
65.9
$81.08 · $7.6B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
- CheapestSFM15.5x
- Fastest growthCOST+8.2%
- Strongest balance sheetCOST0.60
- Highest qualitySFM76 / 100
- Largest discount to fair valueSFM-2%
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)
COST
stronger →← stronger
SFM
76
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
76
72
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
68
12
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
55
SFM is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
COST
SFM
$7.8bB+
FCF
$357mC
+8.2%B
Rev
+7.2%B
0.60B+
D/E
1.40C+
47.6xD
P/E
15.5xA-
4.64D
PEG
1.80C+
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
COST
SFM
177% above
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
2% below
~33%/yr
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~5%/yr
-67%
1-yr DCF upside
-3%
-64%
5-yr DCF upside
+2%
-59%
10-yr DCF upside
+11%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
COST
Why this score
- Raising its dividend
- Durable high returns
SFM
Why this score
- Buying back stock
- Durable high returns
The companies
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.
SFMSprouts Farmers Market, Inc.
Why now
Grocery Stores · market cap $7.6b. Down 45% from 52-week high of $147.16 — deep drawdown territory. 14 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $94.64 (implying +17% upside).
Moat
ROE 34% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which.
Risk
Down 45% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up.
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 COST and SFM diverge
On the headline score the gap is 26.0 points in favor of SFM. They get there differently, though — each leads on a different pillar, so the better pick depends on which you weight.
- ValueCOST 11.6 · SFM 55.3SFM +43.7
- GrowthCOST 72.5 · SFM 68.0COST +4.5
- QualityCOST 75.7 · SFM 76.2level
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.