ONTO vs. COST

Last updated Jul 14, 2026

ONTO (Onto Innovation Inc.) and COST (Costco Wholesale Corporation) are both stocks. ONTO operates in Semiconductor Equipment & Materials (Technology), while COST operates in Discount Stores (Consumer Defensive). Over the past 10 years, ONTO returned 30.03%/yr vs 20.76%/yr for COST. At a 0.20 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

ONTO vs. COST - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Onto Innovation Inc. (ONTO) 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, ONTO achieves a 92.71% return, which is significantly higher than COST's 7.73% return. Over the past 10 years, ONTO has outperformed COST with an annualized return of 30.03%, while COST has yielded a comparatively lower 20.76% annualized return.

ONTO

• 1D: -5.36%
• 1M: -6.07%
• 6M: 59.25%
• YTD: 92.71%
• 1Y: 198.95%
• 3Y*: 39.62%
• 5Y*: 34.88%
• 10Y*: 30.03%

COST

• 1D: 1.11%
• 1M: -5.69%
• 6M: -1.49%
• YTD: 7.73%
• 1Y: -3.99%
• 3Y*: 20.82%
• 5Y*: 18.99%
• 10Y*: 20.76%

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

ONTO vs. COST - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ONTO Onto Innovation Inc.	92.71%	-5.29%	9.01%	124.56%	-32.74%	112.89%	30.13%	33.70%	9.67%	-0.56%
COST Costco Wholesale Corporation	7.73%	-5.39%	39.62%	49.00%	-19.05%	51.82%	32.67%	45.70%	10.60%	22.37%

Correlation

The correlation between ONTO 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	0.12
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.25
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.25
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 22, 1993	0.20

The correlation between ONTO and COST shifts across timeframes, from -0.15 (1 year) to 0.25 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

Market Cap ONTO : $15.13B COST : $410.85B
EPS ONTO : $2.15 COST : $26.51
PE Ratio ONTO : 141.65 COST : 34.95
PEG Ratio ONTO : 12.70 COST : 2.73
PS Ratio ONTO : 14.63 COST : 1.05
Total Revenue (TTM) ONTO : $1.03B COST : $293.59B
Gross Profit (TTM) ONTO : $502.93M COST : $11.12B
EBITDA (TTM) ONTO : $177.93M COST : $12.48B

Return for Risk

ONTO vs. COST — Risk / Return Rank

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

ONTO

ONTO Risk / Return Rank: 95
ONTO Sharpe Ratio Rank: 97
ONTO Sortino Ratio Rank: 93
ONTO Omega Ratio Rank: 92
ONTO Calmar Ratio Rank: 97
ONTO Martin Ratio Rank: 98

COST

COST Risk / Return Rank: 34
COST Sharpe Ratio Rank: 36
COST Sortino Ratio Rank: 30
COST Omega Ratio Rank: 31
COST Calmar Ratio Rank: 37
COST Martin Ratio Rank: 35

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.

ONTO vs. COST - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Onto Innovation Inc. (ONTO) 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.

	ONTO	COST	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	3.18	-0.20	+3.38
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	3.18	-0.15	+3.33
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.40	0.98	+0.42
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	7.69	-0.24	+7.93
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	24.71	-0.56	+25.27

ONTO vs. COST - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ONTO Sharpe Ratio is 3.18, which is higher than the COST Sharpe Ratio of -0.20. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ONTO 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.

Drawdowns

ONTO vs. COST - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ONTO drawdown since its inception was -98.56%, which is greater than COST's maximum drawdown of -53.39%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ONTO and COST.

Drawdown Indicators

	ONTO	COST	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-98.56%	-53.39%	-45.17%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-26.03%	-16.57%	-9.46%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-62.82%	-20.74%	-42.08%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-62.82%	-31.40%	-31.42%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-62.82%	-31.40%	-31.42%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-19.62%	-15.34%	-4.28%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-54.59%	-13.36%	-41.23%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	8.11%	7.14%	+0.97%

Volatility

ONTO vs. COST - Volatility Comparison

Onto Innovation Inc. (ONTO) has a higher volatility of 32.18% compared to Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) at 6.82%. This indicates that ONTO'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

	ONTO	COST	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	32.18%	6.82%	+25.36%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	50.83%	14.82%	+36.01%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	63.13%	19.61%	+43.52%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	57.07%	22.86%	+34.21%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	52.11%	21.99%	+30.12%

Dividends

ONTO vs. COST - Dividend Comparison

ONTO has not paid dividends to shareholders, while COST's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.58%.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
COST Costco Wholesale Corporation	0.58%	0.59%	0.49%	2.87%	0.76%	0.54%	3.38%	0.86%	1.08%	4.81%	1.09%	4.06%
ONTO Onto Innovation 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

ONTO vs. COST - Profitability Comparison

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

ONTO - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jul 2026, Onto Innovation Inc. reported a gross profit of 146.39M and revenue of 291.95M. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 50.1%.

COST - Gross Margin

Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jul 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%.

ONTO - Operating Margin

Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jul 2026, Onto Innovation Inc. reported an operating income of 33.51M and revenue of 291.95M, resulting in an operating margin of 11.5%.

COST - Operating Margin

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

ONTO - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jul 2026, Onto Innovation Inc. reported a net income of 33.75M and revenue of 291.95M, resulting in a net margin of 11.6%.

COST - Net Margin

Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Jul 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

Can I hold both ONTO and COST in my portfolio?

ONTO 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, ONTO or COST?

ONTO has higher volatility (32.18%) compared to COST (6.82%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ONTO dropped -98.56% vs COST's -53.39%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

ONTO currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.18 vs -0.20), 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.