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COST vs WMT

Total return with dividends reinvested · 5Y

Open chart
COSTCostco Wholesale CorporationWMTWalmart Inc.
0%+34%+68%+102%+136%+170%10-25’2108-23’2206-22’2304-19’2402-19’2512-16COST +115.0%WMT +150.7%lopjlb.com
COST
WMT

Return and risk 5Y

Ticker$10K becameTotalPer yearVolatilityWorst dropOff high nowBest yearWorst yearYears upCorr. with COST
COST$21,498+114.98%+16.58%22.9%-31.40%-8.63%+50.10% 2023-18.91% 202250%—
WMT$25,073+150.73%+20.23%22.6%-25.74%-12.01%+72.18% 2024-0.45% 202275%0.57
COST
$10K became
$21,498
Total
+114.98%
Per year
+16.58%
Volatility
22.9%
Worst drop
-31.40%
Off high now
-8.63%
Best year
+50.10% 2023
Worst year
-18.91% 2022
WMT
$10K became
$25,073
Total
+150.73%
Per year
+20.23%
Volatility
22.6%
Worst drop
-25.74%
Off high now
-12.01%
Best year
+72.18% 2024
Worst year
-0.45% 2022

Per year is the compound annual growth rate and needs a year of history. Volatility is the yearly spread of daily returns. Best and worst years count full calendar years only.

Drawdown from peak 5Y

0%-20%-40%
2021-102026-10

Correlation of daily returns

COSTWMTCOST1.000.57WMT0.571.00

1 moves together, 0 unrelated, negative moves opposite. Lower correlation means more diversification.

Trailing returns up to 5 years

Ticker1Y2Y3Y5Y
COST————
WMT————

Calendar-year returns best each year in bold

YearCOSTWMT
No full years in this range yet.

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About this comparison

Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) vs Walmart Inc. (WMT) total return over 5Y: COST +114.98%, WMT +150.73%. Regime WMT RECOVERY. As of Oct 21, 2026. Research only.

Desk note, written 2026-10-13. Its figures are as of that date; the tables above are live.

The five‑year total‑return overlay—capturing dividends and splits—shows Costco Wholesale (COST) up +123.6% versus Walmart (WMT) up +156.4%, underscoring solid shareholder‑return contributions from both discount‑store leaders. Costco closed at $954.6 on 2026‑10‑13, down 0.50% in the US session. The overlay flags

What does the COST vs WMT overlay show?

LOPJLB overlays COST vs WMT as total return (dividends and splits) from the first adjusted close in the selected 5Y window. Each path starts at 0% so you can read relative holding performance, not raw tape price.

Is this holding return or tape close?

Holding return. The series uses split- and dividend-adjusted close (Yahoo-style backward adjustment) when dividend coverage is sufficient, otherwise it falls back to tape close. Candles and technical overlays on /chart stay tape.

Which windows are public?

Public visitors can share 1M, 3M, 6M, YTD, 1Y, and 5Y. MAX is Research+. Direction and regime in the table follow the desk ladder: SPY25 on Free, full book on Essential+.

How do I read the drawdown, period, and annual tables?

Drawdowns are current and worst peak-to-trough on the visible range. Periods are calendar lookbacks (1Y / 2Y / 3Y / 5Y, plus 10Y on MAX) from the last bar. Annual is calendar-year holding return, with the latest year labeled YTD.

How has COST vs WMT performed on a normalized basis?

COST vs WMT holding-return overlay: 5Y COST +114.98% · WMT +150.73%; worst drawdown COST -31.40% · WMT -25.74%; YTD COST +17.35% · WMT +5.14%. Numbers update from the live compare-series book.

Is ticker compare investment advice?

No. The overlay is research context only — not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.

Related: COST, WMT, methodology, chart