Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. (WOOF) vs Chewy, Inc. (CHWY) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | CHWY | 6.4% revenue growth vs WOOF's -2.2% |
| Value | WOOF | Lower P/E (17.4x vs 52.2x) |
| Quality / Margins | CHWY | 1.2% net margin vs WOOF's -0.0% |
| Stability / Safety | CHWY | Beta 0.74 vs WOOF's 1.03, lower leverage |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | WOOF | -5.2% vs CHWY's -26.4% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | CHWY | 4.8% ROA vs WOOF's -0.0%, ROIC 28.0% vs 0.1% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
Petco is a pet health and wellness retailer operating physical stores and veterinary clinics across the U.S. It generates revenue primarily from pet supplies and consumables — about 60% of sales — complemented by services like veterinary care, grooming, and training. The company's competitive advantage lies in its integrated ecosystem of retail, veterinary services, and digital platforms that create a one-stop destination for pet owners.
Chewy is a pure-play online retailer of pet food, supplies, and medications in the United States. It generates revenue primarily through direct e-commerce sales of pet products — including its own private label brands — with additional income from its Autoship subscription service and pharmacy operations. The company's competitive advantage lies in its deep customer loyalty, driven by exceptional customer service and a highly convenient recurring delivery model that creates strong switching costs.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
CHWY leads in 2 of 6 categories (Profitability & Efficiency, Total Returns). WOOF leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics). 2 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
CHWY is the larger business by revenue, generating $12.3B annually — 2.1x WOOF's $6.0B. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from 1.2% (CHWY) to -0.0% (WOOF). On growth, CHWY holds the edge at +8.6% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | WOOFPetco Health and … | CHWYChewy, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $6.0B | $12.3B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $312M | $313M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$2M | $151M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $130M | $463M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +37.7% | +29.5% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +1.9% | +1.3% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -0.0% | +1.2% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +2.2% | +3.8% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -3.1% | +8.6% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +154.0% | -79.4% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | WOOFPetco Health and … | CHWYChewy, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $96M | $11.4B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $2.9B | $11.3B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -6.89x | 30.13x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 17.39x | 52.23x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 49.63x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.02x | 0.96x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.63x | 45.20x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 1.94x | 25.12x |
Profitability & Efficiency
CHWY delivers a 38.8% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $39 in annual profit, vs $-0 for WOOF. CHWY carries lower financial leverage with a 1.92x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to WOOF's 2.66x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), CHWY scores 7/9 vs WOOF's 5/9, reflecting strong financial health.
| Metric | WOOFPetco Health and … | CHWYChewy, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -0.2% | +38.8% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -0.0% | +4.8% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +0.1% | +28.0% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +0.2% | +12.0% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 7 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 2.66x | 1.92x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $2.8B | -$93M |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $166M | $596M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $3.0B | $502M |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 0.83x | 35.37x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in CHWY five years ago would be worth $2,616 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $1,215 for WOOF. Over the past 12 months, WOOF leads with a -5.2% total return vs CHWY's -26.4%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors CHWY at -12.2% vs WOOF's -37.2% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | WOOFPetco Health and … | CHWYChewy, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -10.5% | -18.1% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -5.2% | -26.4% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -75.2% | -32.4% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -87.9% | -73.8% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -91.3% | -21.6% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -37.2% | -12.2% |
Risk & Volatility
CHWY is the less volatile stock with a 0.74 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than WOOF's 1.03 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500.
| Metric | WOOFPetco Health and … | CHWYChewy, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.03x | 0.74x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $4.51 | $48.62 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $2.28 | $23.52 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +56.5% | +56.4% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 44.2 | 47.3 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 1.5M | 6.4M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates WOOF as "Hold" and CHWY as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 68.2% upside for CHWY (target: $46) vs 56.5% for WOOF (target: $4).
| Metric | WOOFPetco Health and … | CHWYChewy, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Hold | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $3.99 | $46.11 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 25 | 37 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | — | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | 0.0% | +8.3% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Jan 21 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petco Health and We… (WOOF) | 100 | 9.25 | -90.7% |
| Chewy, Inc. (CHWY) | 100 | 27.99 | -72.0% |
Chewy, Inc. (CHWY) returned -74% over 5 years vs Petco Health and We… (WOOF)'s -88%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petco Health and We… (WOOF) | $4.4B | $6.1B | +39.3% |
| Chewy, Inc. (CHWY) | $901M | $11.9B | +1217.1% |
Chewy, Inc.'s revenue grew from $901M (2016) to $11.9B (2024) — a 38.0% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petco Health and We… (WOOF) | -9.4% | -1.7% | +82.3% |
| Chewy, Inc. (CHWY) | -11.9% | 3.3% | +127.8% |
Chewy, Inc.'s net margin went from -12% (2016) to 3% (2024).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 3 Years
| Stock | 2022 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chewy, Inc. (CHWY) | 309 | 36.8 | -88.1% |
Chewy, Inc. has traded in a 37x–309x P/E range over 3 years; current trailing P/E is ~30x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petco Health and We… (WOOF) | -0.28 | -0.37 | -32.1% |
| Chewy, Inc. (CHWY) | -0.27 | 0.91 | +437.0% |
Chewy, Inc.'s EPS grew from $-0.27 (2016) to $0.91 (2024).
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. generated $50M FCF in 2024 (-58% vs 2021). Chewy, Inc. generated $452M FCF in 2024 (+5190% vs 2021).
WOOF vs CHWY: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is WOOF or CHWY a better buy right now?
Chewy, Inc. (CHWY) offers the better valuation at 30.1x trailing P/E (52.2x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Chewy, Inc. (CHWY) a "Buy" — based on 37 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which has the better valuation — WOOF or CHWY?
On forward P/E, Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. is actually cheaper at 17.4x — notably different from the trailing picture, reflecting expected earnings growth.
03Which is the better long-term investment — WOOF or CHWY?
Over the past 5 years, Chewy, Inc. (CHWY) delivered a total return of -73.8%, compared to -87.9% for Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. (WOOF). A $10,000 investment in CHWY five years ago would be worth approximately $3K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: CHWY returned -21.6% versus WOOF's -91.3%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — WOOF or CHWY?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Chewy, Inc. (CHWY) is the lower-risk stock at 0.74β versus Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc.'s 1.03β — meaning WOOF is approximately 38% more volatile than CHWY relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Chewy, Inc. (CHWY) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 192% versus 3% for Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — WOOF or CHWY?
Chewy, Inc. (CHWY) is the more profitable company, earning 3.3% net margin versus -1.7% for Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. — meaning it keeps 3.3% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: CHWY leads at 0.9% versus 0.1% for WOOF. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — WOOF leads at 38.0%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
06Is WOOF or CHWY more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Petco Health and Wellness Company, Inc. (WOOF) trades at 17.4x forward P/E versus 52.2x for Chewy, Inc. — 34.8x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for CHWY: 68.2% to $46.11.
07Which pays a better dividend — WOOF or CHWY?
None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend. All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.
08Is WOOF or CHWY better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Chewy, Inc. (CHWY) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.74)). Both have compounded well over 10 years (CHWY: -21.6%, WOOF: -91.3%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
09What are the main differences between WOOF and CHWY?
Both stocks operate in the Consumer Cyclical sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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