Costco vs Dollar General
Costco is the larger business, with $303.15bn of revenue in fiscal 2026 against $42.72bn for Dollar General (7.1 times as much). Costco grew faster (10.1% against 5.2%). Dollar General kept more of each dollar of sales as profit: a net margin of 3.5% against 3.0%. Costco carries less debt relative to equity (17.2% against 53.6%).
| Latest fiscal year | CostcoCOST, 2026 | Dollar GeneralDG, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $303.15bn | $42.72bn |
| Revenue growth | 10.1% | 5.2% |
| Net income | $9.23bn | $1.51bn |
| Operating margin | 3.9% | 5.2% |
| Net margin | 3.0% | 3.5% |
| Return on equity | 28.4% | 19.0% |
| Free cash flow | $9.38bn | $2.39bn |
| Cash | $20.21bn | $1.14bn |
| Total debt | $6.17bn | $4.57bn |
| Debt to equity | 17.2% | 53.6% |
| Dividend per share | $5.54 | $2.36 |
| Dividend yield | 0.5% | 1.7% |
| Share buybacks | $848m | — |
| Employees | 355,000 | 194,000 |
| Market value | $453.25bn | $28.73bn |
| Price vs our value range | Above our value range | Within our value range |
| Moat score | 58 (Moderate) | 58 (Moderate) |
| Insider trades, 12 months | 0 buys, 13 sales | 0 buys, 9 sales |