Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. DLTR scored 73.9, COST scored 47.7 — DLTR leads.
Compare another set
DLTR
Dollar Tree, Inc.
Discount Stores · Quality-Growth
73.9
$118.64 · $22.3B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
26.2
DLTR leads
COST
Costco Wholesale Corporation
Discount Stores · Quality-Growth
47.7
$946.92 · $419.6B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
CheapestDLTR14.5x
Fastest growthDLTR+8.2%
Strongest balance sheetCOST0.28
Highest qualityDLTR81 / 100
Largest discount to fair valueDLTR-35%
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)
DLTR
stronger →← stronger
COST
81
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
79
63
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
69
80
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
20
DLTR is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
DLTR
COST
$2.0bC+
FCF
$8.8bB+
+8.2%B
Rev
+8.2%B
2.24C
D/E
0.28A-
14.5xA-
P/E
45.6xC
1.20B+
PEG
4.77D
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
DLTR
COST
35% below
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
153% above
~-8%/yr
Growth the price impliesyr-1 FCF growth, fading to 4% · lower = less priced in
~31%/yr
+63%
1-yr DCF upside
-63%
+55%
5-yr DCF upside
-60%
+43%
10-yr DCF upside
-56%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
DLTR
Why this score
Buying back stock
Durable high returns
COST
Why this score
Raising its dividend
Durable high returns
The companies
DLTRDollar Tree, Inc.
Discount Stores · $118.64 · beta 0.72
Why now
Discount Stores · market cap $22.3b. 17% off the 52-week high of $142.40. 26 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $136.15 (implying +15% upside).
Moat
ROE 47% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which. FCF converts 123% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash.
Risk
D/E 2.24 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer.
COSTCostco Wholesale Corporation
Discount Stores · $946.92 · beta 0.87
Why now
Discount Stores · market cap $419.6b. 14% off the 52-week high of $1096.50. 35 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $1,058 (implying +12% upside).
Moat
ROE 28% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which. FCF converts 95% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash. $419.6b 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 46x sits well above the S&P median (~20x) — multiple compression is a real risk if revenue growth decelerates. Net margin 3.0% 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 DLTR and COST diverge
On the headline score the gap is 26.2 points in favor of DLTR. They get there differently, though — each leads on a different pillar, so the better pick depends on which you weight.
ValueDLTR 79.8 · COST 19.9DLTR +59.9
GrowthDLTR 62.6 · COST 68.7COST +6.1
QualityDLTR 80.6 · COST 79.2level
Pillars run 0–100. Value is judged against each company's own sector, so a Value 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.
Common questions
Is DLTR or COST the better stock?
DLTR scores higher: DLTR 73.9, COST 47.7 out of 100 on the Bull Rankings quality-growth score, which blends business quality, growth and valuation into one number. A higher score means a stronger business at a more reasonable price — it is not a price target or a recommendation.
Where do DLTR and COST differ most?
The widest gap is value, where DLTR leads by 60 points on the 0–100 pillar scale. Neither name sweeps: they trade the lead across the three pillars, so the comparison is a trade-off rather than one being better on every measure.
How are DLTR and COST scored?
Each carries the same 0–100 quality-growth score used everywhere on the site, built from three pillars — quality (profitability and returns on capital), growth (revenue and earnings), and value (what you pay for them) — combined as a geometric mean, so a weak pillar cannot be papered over by a strong one.
How current is this comparison?
The whole universe is re-scored every trading day after the US market close, so the scores and fundamentals here reflect the latest published edition.