In its comparison, Insider Monkey favors Walmart as a stock buy over Costco, citing Walmart’s roughly 40-times trailing-earnings multiple versus Costco’s 45 and Sam’s Club membership-income growth of 11.3%, versus Costco’s 7.3%.
Costco’s fourth-quarter earnings, reported Sept. 24, were $6.75 per share against consensus near $6.55; about $0.15 came from a one-off tariff refund. Membership income reached $1.85 billion, with more than 150 million cardholders and a worldwide renewal rate near 90%.
Walmart’s global membership income rose about 17% in the quarter it reported in August, but the article says that figure includes Walmart+, a delivery subscription, so it treats Sam’s Club as the closer comparison. It also points to Walmart’s advertising and marketplace fees as a faster-growing, higher-margin profit stream; Costco keeps that business small and prioritizes lower prices.
