Head-to-head · free
Costco vs Constellation Brands
COST vs STZ — return on capital, cash generation, margins and balance sheet side by side.
COST
7 / 10
measures where COST leads
STZ
3 / 10
measures where STZ leads
A simple count of which company scores better on each measure — not a recommendation to buy or sell.
| Measure | COST · FY2026 | STZ · FY2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $303.2B | $9.1B |
| Net income | $9.2B | $1.7B |
| Revenue growth (yearly, multi-year) | 7.5% | 0.9% |
| Free cash flow | $9.4B | $1.8B |
| Free cash flow margin | 3.1% | 19.6% |
| Net cash / (debt) | $11.6B | — |
| ROIC | 22.5% | 10.3% |
| Return on equity | 30.7% | 22.5% |
| Gross margin | 12.8% | 51.6% |
| Operating margin | 3.8% | 31.3% |
| Net debt / EBITDA | -0.66x | 3.33x |
Figures are as reported by each company; latest fiscal year shown.
Where Costco's cash went (FY2026)
- Capital spending
- $6.4B
- Buybacks
- $848.0M
- Dividends
- $2.5B
- Acquisitions
- $0
- Net debt issued / (repaid)
- $312.0M
Where Constellation Brands's cash went (FY2026)
- Capital spending
- $875.0M
- Buybacks
- —
- Dividends
- —
- Acquisitions
- —
- Net debt issued / (repaid)
- —
Ask which business is stronger
"Which one reinvests at higher returns?" "Who carries more risk in its filings?" Get answers drawn straight from both companies' filings.
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