Costco vs Target
Costco is the larger business, with $303.15bn of revenue in fiscal 2026 against $104.78bn for Target (2.9 times as much). Costco grew faster (10.1% against -1.7%). Target 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 89.1%).
| Latest fiscal year | CostcoCOST, 2026 | TargetTGT, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $303.15bn | $104.78bn |
| Revenue growth | 10.1% | -1.7% |
| Net income | $9.23bn | $3.71bn |
| Operating margin | 3.9% | 4.9% |
| Net margin | 3.0% | 3.5% |
| Return on equity | 28.4% | 24.0% |
| Free cash flow | $9.38bn | $2.83bn |
| Cash | $20.21bn | $5.49bn |
| Total debt | $6.17bn | $14.40bn |
| Debt to equity | 17.2% | 89.1% |
| Dividend per share | $5.54 | $4.54 |
| Dividend yield | 0.5% | 2.9% |
| Share buybacks | $848m | $408m |
| Employees | 355,000 | 415,000 |
| Market value | $453.25bn | $69.75bn |
| Price vs our value range | Above our value range | Within our value range |
| Moat score | 58 (Moderate) | 59 (Moderate) |
| Insider trades, 12 months | 0 buys, 13 sales | 0 buys, 9 sales |