COST vs. AYTU

Last updated Jun 9, 2026

COST (Costco Wholesale Corporation) and AYTU (Aytu BioPharma, Inc.) are both stocks. COST operates in Discount Stores (Consumer Defensive), while AYTU operates in Drug Manufacturers - Specialty & Generic (Healthcare). Over the past 5 years, COST returned 22.05%/yr vs -53.73%/yr for AYTU. At a 0.05 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

COST vs. AYTU - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) and Aytu BioPharma, Inc. (AYTU). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, COST achieves a 13.35% return, which is significantly higher than AYTU's -11.92% return.

COST

• 1D: 0.30%
• 1M: -3.37%
• YTD: 13.35%
• 6M: 10.14%
• 1Y: -3.42%
• 3Y*: 25.18%
• 5Y*: 22.05%
• 10Y*: 22.25%

AYTU

• 1D: 1.78%
• 1M: -8.40%
• YTD: -11.92%
• 6M: 2.23%
• 1Y: 14.50%
• 3Y*: 12.70%
• 5Y*: -53.73%
• 10Y*: —

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

COST vs. AYTU - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
COST Costco Wholesale Corporation	13.35%	-5.39%	39.62%	49.00%	-19.05%	51.82%	32.67%	45.70%	10.60%	21.05%
AYTU Aytu BioPharma, Inc.	-11.92%	52.94%	-40.14%	-24.87%	-86.00%	-77.42%	-38.35%	22.41%	-98.22%	-88.85%

Correlation

The correlation between COST and AYTU is -0.16, meaning they tend to move in opposite directions. This is especially valuable for risk management - when one declines, the other has historically tended to hold steady or rise.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.16
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	-0.01
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.04
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Feb 2, 2017	0.05

The correlation between COST and AYTU shifts across timeframes, from -0.16 (1 year) to 0.05 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

EPS COST : $26.51 AYTU : -$2.91
PS Ratio COST : 1.11 AYTU : 0.47
Total Revenue (TTM) COST : $293.59B AYTU : $56.60M
Gross Profit (TTM) COST : $11.12B AYTU : $36.14M
EBITDA (TTM) COST : $12.48B AYTU : -$27.34M

Return for Risk

COST vs. AYTU — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

COST

COST Risk / Return Rank: 32
COST Sharpe Ratio Rank: 34
COST Sortino Ratio Rank: 28
COST Omega Ratio Rank: 28
COST Calmar Ratio Rank: 35
COST Martin Ratio Rank: 33

AYTU

AYTU Risk / Return Rank: 51
AYTU Sharpe Ratio Rank: 52
AYTU Sortino Ratio Rank: 49
AYTU Omega Ratio Rank: 49
AYTU Calmar Ratio Rank: 52
AYTU Martin Ratio Rank: 53

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

COST vs. AYTU - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) and Aytu BioPharma, Inc. (AYTU). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	COST	AYTU	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	-0.18	0.27	-0.45
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	-0.13	0.75	-0.88
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.98	1.10	-0.11
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.22	0.41	-0.63
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	-0.51	0.97	-1.49
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

COST vs. AYTU - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current COST Sharpe Ratio is -0.18, which is lower than the AYTU Sharpe Ratio of 0.27. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of COST and AYTU, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	COST	AYTU	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	-0.18	0.27	-0.45
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.98	-0.63	+1.61
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	1.02	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.59	-0.36	+0.95

Drawdowns

COST vs. AYTU - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum COST drawdown since its inception was -53.39%, smaller than the maximum AYTU drawdown of -100.00%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for COST and AYTU.

Drawdown Indicators

	COST	AYTU	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-53.39%	-100.00%	+46.61%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-15.38%	-35.47%	+20.09%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-20.74%	-70.24%	+49.50%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-31.40%	-99.12%	+67.72%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-31.40%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-10.93%	-100.00%	+89.07%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-13.36%	-95.15%	+81.79%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	7.15%	14.92%	-7.77%

Volatility

COST vs. AYTU - Volatility Comparison

The current volatility for Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) is 7.71%, while Aytu BioPharma, Inc. (AYTU) has a volatility of 14.09%. This indicates that COST experiences smaller price fluctuations and is considered to be less risky than AYTU based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	COST	AYTU	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.71%	14.09%	-6.38%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	14.53%	33.39%	-18.86%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	18.79%	55.06%	-36.27%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	22.71%	85.66%	-62.95%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	21.95%	188.20%	-166.25%

Dividends

COST vs. AYTU - Dividend Comparison

COST's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.55%, while AYTU has not paid dividends to shareholders.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
AYTU Aytu BioPharma, Inc.	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
COST Costco Wholesale Corporation	0.55%	0.59%	0.49%	2.87%	0.76%	0.54%	3.38%	0.86%	1.08%	4.81%	1.09%	4.06%

Financials

COST vs. AYTU - Profitability Comparison

The chart below illustrates the profitability comparison between Costco Wholesale Corporation and Aytu BioPharma, Inc. over time, highlighting three key metrics: Gross Profit Margin, Operating Margin, and Net Profit Margin.

COST - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Costco Wholesale Corporation reported a gross profit of -17.68B and revenue of 70.53B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was -25.1%.

AYTU - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Aytu BioPharma, Inc. reported a gross profit of 7.60M and revenue of 12.41M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 61.2%.

COST - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Costco Wholesale Corporation reported an operating income of 2.82B and revenue of 70.53B, resulting in an operating margin of 4.0%.

AYTU - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Aytu BioPharma, Inc. reported an operating income of -4.06M and revenue of 12.41M, resulting in an operating margin of -32.8%.

COST - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Costco Wholesale Corporation reported a net income of 2.19B and revenue of 70.53B, resulting in a net margin of 3.1%.

AYTU - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, Aytu BioPharma, Inc. reported a net income of -5.62M and revenue of 12.41M, resulting in a net margin of -45.3%.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both COST and AYTU in my portfolio?

COST and AYTU have a correlation of -0.16, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, COST or AYTU?

AYTU has higher volatility (14.09%) compared to COST (7.71%). In terms of maximum drawdown, COST dropped -53.39% vs AYTU's -100.00%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

AYTU currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.27 vs -0.18), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.