IQV vs. COST
IQV (IQVIA Holdings Inc.) and COST (Costco Wholesale Corporation) are both stocks. IQV operates in Diagnostics & Research (Healthcare), while COST operates in Discount Stores (Consumer Defensive). Over the past 10 years, IQV returned 10.46%/yr vs 21.98%/yr for COST. At a 0.31 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.
Performance
IQV vs. COST - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, IQV achieves a -24.01% return, which is significantly lower than COST's 11.37% return. Over the past 10 years, IQV has underperformed COST with an annualized return of 10.46%, while COST has yielded a comparatively higher 21.98% annualized return.
IQV
- 1D
- 2.07%
- 1M
- 2.01%
- YTD
- -24.01%
- 6M
- -23.93%
- 1Y
- 10.38%
- 3Y*
- -7.16%
- 5Y*
- -6.59%
- 10Y*
- 10.46%
COST
- 1D
- 0.67%
- 1M
- -6.86%
- YTD
- 11.37%
- 6M
- 12.35%
- 1Y
- -4.12%
- 3Y*
- 23.87%
- 5Y*
- 20.85%
- 10Y*
- 21.98%
IQV vs. COST - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IQV IQVIA Holdings Inc. | -24.01% | 14.71% | -15.07% | 12.93% | -27.38% | 57.47% | 15.96% | 33.00% | 18.66% | 28.73% |
COST Costco Wholesale Corporation | 11.37% | -5.39% | 39.62% | 49.00% | -19.05% | 51.82% | 32.67% | 45.70% | 10.60% | 22.37% |
Correlation
The correlation between IQV and COST is 0.03, meaning there is essentially no relationship between their price movements. Each responds to its own set of market drivers, making them strong candidates for combining in a diversified portfolio.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.03 |
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period | 0.21 |
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.34 |
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.33 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since May 9, 2013 | 0.31 |
Over the past year, the correlation between IQV and COST has dropped to 0.03 - well below their long-term average of 0.31, suggesting their price drivers have been diverging.
Fundamentals
IQV:
$8.07
COST:
$26.51
IQV:
21.23
COST:
36.13
IQV:
1.73
COST:
2.82
IQV:
1.77
COST:
1.09
IQV:
$16.63B
COST:
$293.59B
IQV:
$4.34B
COST:
$11.12B
IQV:
$3.52B
COST:
$12.48B
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Return for Risk
IQV vs. COST — Risk / Return Rank
IQV
COST
IQV vs. COST - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for IQVIA Holdings Inc. (IQV) 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.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| IQV | COST | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | +0.47 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | +0.86 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.09 | 0.98 | +0.11 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 0.29 | -0.28 | +0.57 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 0.56 | -0.61 | +1.17 |
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Drawdowns
IQV vs. COST - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum IQV drawdown since its inception was -51.52%, roughly equal to the maximum COST drawdown of -53.39%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for IQV and COST.
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Drawdown Indicators
| IQV | COST | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -51.52% | -53.39% | +1.87% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -35.87% | -14.93% | -20.94% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -47.12% | -20.74% | -26.38% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -51.52% | -31.40% | -20.12% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -51.52% | -31.40% | -20.12% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -39.39% | -12.49% | -26.90% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -12.86% | -13.36% | +0.50% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 18.63% | 6.90% | +11.73% |
Volatility
IQV vs. COST - Volatility Comparison
IQVIA Holdings Inc. (IQV) has a higher volatility of 13.25% compared to Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) at 6.38%. This indicates that IQV'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.
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Volatility by Period
| IQV | COST | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 13.25% | 6.38% | +6.87% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 32.11% | 14.49% | +17.62% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 41.66% | 18.93% | +22.73% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 33.56% | 22.73% | +10.83% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 31.78% | 21.97% | +9.81% |
Dividends
IQV vs. COST - Dividend Comparison
IQV has not paid dividends to shareholders, while COST's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.56%.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
COST Costco Wholesale Corporation | 0.56% | 0.59% | 0.49% | 2.87% | 0.76% | 0.54% | 3.38% | 0.86% | 1.08% | 4.81% | 1.09% | 4.06% |
IQV IQVIA Holdings 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
IQV vs. COST - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between IQVIA Holdings Inc. and Costco Wholesale Corporation. You can select fields from income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements to easily visualize and compare the financial health of both companies.
Total Revenue: Total amount of money received from sales and other business activities
IQV vs. COST - Profitability Comparison
IQV - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, IQVIA Holdings Inc. reported a gross profit of 1.36B and revenue of 4.15B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 32.6%.
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%.
IQV - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, IQVIA Holdings Inc. reported an operating income of 514.00M and revenue of 4.15B, resulting in an operating margin of 12.4%.
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%.
IQV - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jun 2026, IQVIA Holdings Inc. reported a net income of 274.00M and revenue of 4.15B, resulting in a net margin of 6.6%.
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%.
Frequently Asked Questions
IQV and COST have a correlation of 0.03, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
IQV has higher volatility (13.25%) compared to COST (6.38%). In terms of maximum drawdown, IQV dropped -51.52% vs COST's -53.39%.
IQV currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.25 vs -0.22), 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.
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