IONQ vs. COST

Last updated Jun 9, 2026

IONQ (IonQ, Inc.) and COST (Costco Wholesale Corporation) are both stocks. IONQ operates in Computer Hardware (Technology), while COST operates in Discount Stores (Consumer Defensive). Over the past 5 years, IONQ returned 42.74%/yr vs 22.05%/yr for COST. At a 0.21 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

IONQ vs. COST - Performance Comparison

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

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, IONQ achieves a 39.96% return, which is significantly higher than COST's 13.35% return.

IONQ

• 1D: 10.60%
• 1M: 27.54%
• YTD: 39.96%
• 6M: 15.53%
• 1Y: 60.94%
• 3Y*: 81.23%
• 5Y*: 42.74%
• 10Y*: —

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%

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

IONQ vs. COST - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021
IONQ IonQ, Inc.	39.96%	7.42%	237.13%	259.13%	-79.34%	50.11%
COST Costco Wholesale Corporation	13.35%	-5.39%	39.62%	49.00%	-19.05%	51.82%

Correlation

The correlation between IONQ and COST is -0.15, 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	-0.15
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.11
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.22
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 4, 2021	0.21

The correlation between IONQ and COST shifts across timeframes, from -0.15 (1 year) to 0.22 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

EPS IONQ : $0.86 COST : $26.51
PE Ratio IONQ : 72.85 COST : 36.77
PS Ratio IONQ : 107.88 COST : 1.11
Total Revenue (TTM) IONQ : $187.12M COST : $293.59B
Gross Profit (TTM) IONQ : $71.25M COST : $11.12B
EBITDA (TTM) IONQ : $405.86M COST : $12.48B

Return for Risk

IONQ vs. COST — Risk / Return Rank

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

IONQ

IONQ Risk / Return Rank: 63
IONQ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 64
IONQ Sortino Ratio Rank: 68
IONQ Omega Ratio Rank: 63
IONQ Calmar Ratio Rank: 61
IONQ Martin Ratio Rank: 59

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

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.

IONQ vs. COST - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for IonQ, Inc. (IONQ) and Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST). 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.

	IONQ	COST	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	0.66	-0.18	+0.84
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.57	-0.13	+1.70
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.17	0.98	+0.19
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.91	-0.22	+1.13
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	1.65	-0.51	+2.16
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

IONQ vs. COST - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current IONQ Sharpe Ratio is 0.66, which is higher than the COST Sharpe Ratio of -0.18. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of IONQ and COST, 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

	IONQ	COST	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.66	-0.18	+0.84
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.43	0.98	-0.55
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	1.02	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.39	0.59	-0.19

Drawdowns

IONQ vs. COST - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum IONQ drawdown since its inception was -90.00%, which is greater than COST's maximum drawdown of -53.39%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IONQ and COST.

Drawdown Indicators

	IONQ	COST	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-90.00%	-53.39%	-36.61%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-67.61%	-15.38%	-52.23%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-67.61%	-20.74%	-46.87%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-90.00%	-31.40%	-58.60%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-31.40%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-23.50%	-10.93%	-12.57%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-50.97%	-13.36%	-37.61%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	37.01%	7.15%	+29.86%

Volatility

IONQ vs. COST - Volatility Comparison

IonQ, Inc. (IONQ) has a higher volatility of 32.87% compared to Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) at 7.71%. This indicates that IONQ's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than COST based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	IONQ	COST	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	32.87%	7.71%	+25.16%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	68.37%	14.53%	+53.84%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	92.93%	18.79%	+74.14%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	100.41%	22.71%	+77.70%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	97.59%	21.95%	+75.64%

Dividends

IONQ vs. COST - Dividend Comparison

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

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
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%
IONQ IonQ, 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%

Financials

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both IONQ and COST in my portfolio?

IONQ and COST have a correlation of -0.15, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, IONQ or COST?

IONQ has higher volatility (32.87%) compared to COST (7.71%). In terms of maximum drawdown, IONQ dropped -90.00% vs COST's -53.39%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

IONQ currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.66 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.