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Stock Comparison · Structural lead, mixed market

Costco Wholesale vs US Foods Holding: Which Stock Looks Stronger in 2026?

Costco Wholesale holds the cleaner structural position, with the lead spread across profitability and stability. US Foods still has the edge on valuation, which keeps the comparison from looking entirely one-sided. The market setup is mixed, without a decisive signal in either direction. The market is not adding a decisive signal either way — the structural read carries the weight.

The comparison is based on similar long-term financial trajectories, not sector labels.

Updated 2026-04-05

This is not just a one-metric split: both profitability and stability materially support the lead. Costco Wholesale Corporation leads by 19 points on the overall comparison score.

Trajectory Similarity
0.82
Similar
Peer-set rank: #5
within Costco Wholesale Corporation's functional peer set

These two companies are linked by measured long-term financial trajectory similarity within the selected peer universe.

A solid similarity means the pair shares a clearly comparable long-term financial profile, even if individual dimensions still differ.

The clearest structural overlap shows up in revenue stability and margin consistency.

Similarity drivers
revenue stabilitymargin consistency
How to read the score
0.85–1.00 · Very similar0.70–0.84 · Similar0.55–0.69 · Moderately similarbelow 0.55 · Loose match
Peer-Relative Score
COST
Costco Wholesale Corporation
66
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium
vs
USFD
US Foods Holding Corp.
47
Peer-Score
Signal qualityMedium

Scores reflect position relative to comparable companies with similar long-term financial trajectories.

The largest gaps do not all point in the same direction.

Dimension spread: COST vs USFD Profitability 76 31 Stability 67 33 Valuation 41 58 Growth 86 70 COST USFD
Gap Ranking
#1 Profitability +45
#2 Stability +34
#3 Valuation +17
#4 Growth +16
Price Setup

Left means cheaper relative valuation. Higher means stronger structure.

Price setup map for COST and USFD Stronger + cheaper Stronger + richer Weaker + cheaper Weaker + richer COSTUSFD Relative valuation Structural strength

Costco Wholesale Corporation holds the stronger structural profile, but the price setup still leans toward US Foods Holding Corp..

Valuation position uses peer-relative PE percentile (idx_pct_pe) where available.

Relative Position vs Comparable Companies
Profitability
Costco Wholesale Corporation ranks near the top of the group on profitability; US Foods Holding Corp. sits in the weaker half.
Stability
On stability, the gap still runs the same way: Costco Wholesale Corporation sits near the top of the group, while US Foods Holding Corp. remains in the weaker half.
Profitability — Dominant Gap
COST
76
USFD
31
Gap+45in favour of COST

Capital efficiency adds support, with a 17.3-point ROIC advantage.

What keeps the gap from being one-sided

Absolute pricing still looks more supportive for US Foods, with a forward P/E that is 29 turns lower there.

What this means for the comparison

The lead is built on both profitability and stability — though valuation still provides a counterweight.

Explore full peer positioning in AssetNext

Break down the COST vs USFD comparison across all dimensions with the full interactive tool.

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Similar profitability-and-stability comparisons

Explore how COST and USFD each compare against other companies in their peer groups.

Rule-based, descriptive analysis only. Derived from peer percentile dimensions. Not investment advice. Peer groups are determined algorithmically based on structural similarity — not by sector classification alone.

How AssetNext Peer Scores Work

AssetNext scores reflect each company's structural position within its functional peer group — not a ranking against all stocks simultaneously. Peers are identified by similarity across eight financial dimensions, including revenue growth trajectory, margin structure, capital intensity, and earnings stability. A score of 75 means the company ranks in the top quartile within its own peer group, not the entire market.

Four dimension scores drive the overall peer score: Growth (revenue trajectory and expansion dynamics), Quality (margin structure and capital efficiency), Valuation (peer-relative pricing on standard multiples), and Stability (earnings consistency and financial predictability). Each dimension is scored 0–100 relative to the peer group, then combined into an overall peer score using equal weighting.

Scores are recalculated periodically as underlying financial data is updated. All analysis is descriptive and rule-based — AssetNext describes structural realities and never issues buy, sell or hold recommendations.