Compare
COST vs WMT
TheDesperateTrader.com· Side-by-side stock comparison
$COST vs $WMT head to head: price, market cap, valuation, dividend, free float, relative volume and how actively each trades. The bigger value in the size rows is bolded. Tap either ticker for its live chart, full ownership breakdown and real-time alerts.
$947.05
Price
$110.59
-0.1%
Day change
+0.0%
$420.18B
Market cap
$877.15B
45.66
P/E ratio
39.91
0.62%
Dividend yield
0.90%
442.8M
Free float
4.40B
83.13%
Institutional
43.07%
2.2M
Avg volume
23.6M
1.0x
Rel. volume
1.0x
41% of 52w
52-week range
32% of 52w
42
Scanner alerts 30d
64
RETAIL-VARIETY STORES
Sector
RETAIL-VARIETY STORES
COST vs WMT: the quick read
- ·WMT is the larger company by market cap ($877.15B vs $420.18B).
- ·WMT has been more active on our scanner (64 vs 42 alerts in 30 days).
- ·COST has the smaller float (442.8M vs 4.40B), which tends to mean sharper, more volatile moves.
- ·WMT trades at the lower P/E (39.9 vs 45.7).
- ·Both are retail-variety stores names, so this is a like-for-like comparison and sector news tends to move them together.
- ·WMT trades at a small fraction of the other's share price, so position sizing and the size of a "normal" move differ a lot between them.
- ·Both stay busy on our scanner, 64 and 42 unusual-volume alerts over 30 days, so neither is the quiet one here.
- ·Both pay a dividend, so this is one of the few pairs here where yield is a fair tiebreaker.
Objective differences only. Not investment advice.
Get the best catches in your inbox
Free daily email of the top plays and unusual-volume alerts our scanner flags. No account needed.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. Not investment advice.
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know comparing COST and WMT on TheDesperateTrader.
- Is COST or WMT the better stock?
- "Better" depends on your goal, and these two are not alike. WMT is the larger company by market cap ($877.15B vs $420.18B). WMT has been more active on our scanner (64 vs 42 alerts in 30 days). COST has the smaller float (442.8M vs 4.40B), which tends to mean sharper, more volatile moves. Those are the measured differences, not a recommendation, and nothing here is investment advice.
- What is the difference between COST and WMT?
- The differences that matter: they are similar in size ($420.18B vs $877.15B); they trade at very different share prices ($947.05 vs $110.59); COST sits at 41% of its 52-week range against 32% for WMT; our scanner flagged COST 42 times in the last 30 days against 64 for WMT. Everything above is measured from the latest completed session and SEC filings.
- Which of COST and WMT is more active right now?
- Right now COST is at about 1.0x its normal volume and WMT is at about 1.0x, so COST is the one drawing unusual attention today. Relative volume (RVOL) compares a stock's volume to its own recent average, so it reads the same way for a megacap and a microcap and is the quickest way to tell which of two similar names is actually in play.
- Is this comparison data live?
- Prices and % changes are anchored to the latest completed session and split-adjusted, so a reverse split never shows as a fake move. Float is estimated from SEC filings and refreshed as new filings publish.
Trading COST or WMT? Get real-time unusual-volume alerts the moment either one moves, free.
No card · 5 premium daysMore COST and WMT comparisons
Same sector, similar size. These are the peers each one is usually weighed against.
Explore the market
Free, live market tools. No account required to look.
Site GuideEvery page explained, and how to trade with itTop Stocks TodaySix ranked stocks, live charts, why each oneRegularsThe names that keep coming back to the top of the scannerDue DiligenceDeep dives on one ticker, traced to SEC filings and the tapeSuper PortfolioEvery big holding from 13F filings and corporate stakesFree Stock ScannersEvery scanner in one placeCaught EarlyWhat our scanner flagged before it ranHow It WorksOur data, methodology & accuracyTrading CalculatorsPosition size, profit & average downTrading Taxes ExplainedWash sales, trader status and what you oweStock Market TodayWhat’s actually moving right nowLow Float MoversWho traded their whole float todayBetting AgainstWho the market is short, and which funds hold putsOur Call RecordEvery name we posted and what it did next, losers includedStocks to WatchTop 10 to watch next session, with reasonsTrending StocksWhat’s moving & being searched nowStock Sectors & ThemesAI, crypto, energy, banks & 40 moreBiggest Gainers TodayTop gainers & most activeWhy Stocks Are MovingToday’s movers + the catalyst behind eachInsider BuyingStocks insiders are buying (Form 4)Biggest Losers TodayTop decliners & worst performersPremarket MoversTop gainers & losers before the bellGap ScannerBiggest gap ups & downs. Did it fill?After Hours MoversTop gainers & losers after the closeMost Active StocksHighest dollar-volume names52-Week Highs & LowsStocks making new highs & lowsStock SplitsUpcoming & recent, and what happened afterOversold StocksLowest RSI, mean-reversion watchLow Float StocksSmallest floats, squeeze watchMost Volatile StocksBiggest daily range by ATR%Most Shorted StocksHighest short % of floatShort Squeeze StocksTop squeeze candidates by scorePenny StocksMost active under $5Stocks Under $1Most active sub-$1 namesStocks Under $10Most active under $10Overbought StocksHighest RSI, extended / pullback watchWeekly MoversBiggest gainers & losers this weekStock ScreenerScan by price, volume & RVOLThe Money MapMarket cap added or wiped, by sectorSector PerformanceBest & worst sectors todayStore ClosuresRetail & restaurant stocks under pressureEarnings CalendarWho reports before open & after closeEarnings Next WeekThe week ahead, biggest names by dayMoving After EarningsBiggest post-earnings gainers & losersEconomic CalendarFOMC, CPI, jobs & market-moving dataDividend CalendarEx-dates, yields & buy-by datesIPO CalendarRecent & upcoming stock listingsDaily RecapHow each session played outRVOL ScannerLive unusual-volume alertsHalt ScannerLive trading halts & resumesStock Halts TodayHalted stocks + reasons & resumesMost-Halted StocksRanked: which stocks halt most, 30dLive AlertsThe real-time scanner feedSmart MoneyInsider buys, 5% stakes & 13FReddit RadarTrending tickers & top postsGoogle Search RadarStocks America is Googling nowMarket CalendarEconomic, earnings & dividends in oneCrypto PricesLive Bitcoin, Ethereum & top coinsCurrency ConverterExchange rates: EUR, GBP, JPY & moreMortgage RatesCurrent 30-year & 15-year ratesAI StocksThe AI buildout: chips, cloud & softwareSemiconductor StocksChipmakers & equipment, and why they move