PRG vs. COST

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

PRG (PROG Holdings, Inc.) and COST (Costco Wholesale Corporation) are both stocks. PRG operates in Rental & Leasing Services (Industrials), while COST operates in Discount Stores (Consumer Defensive). Over the past 10 years, PRG returned 5.42%/yr vs 22.34%/yr for COST. At a 0.18 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

PRG vs. COST - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in PROG Holdings, Inc. (PRG) 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, PRG achieves a 16.80% return, which is significantly higher than COST's 11.85% return. Over the past 10 years, PRG has underperformed COST with an annualized return of 5.42%, while COST has yielded a comparatively higher 22.34% annualized return.

PRG

• 1D: -5.11%
• 1M: -4.48%
• YTD: 16.80%
• 6M: 14.16%
• 1Y: 18.80%
• 3Y*: 1.29%
• 5Y*: -7.40%
• 10Y*: 5.42%

COST

• 1D: 0.79%
• 1M: -5.03%
• YTD: 11.85%
• 6M: 4.58%
• 1Y: -8.37%
• 3Y*: 25.00%
• 5Y*: 21.24%
• 10Y*: 22.34%

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

PRG vs. COST - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
PRG PROG Holdings, Inc.	16.80%	-28.95%	38.41%	83.01%	-62.56%	-16.26%	11.71%	36.15%	5.81%	24.96%
COST Costco Wholesale Corporation	11.85%	-5.39%	39.62%	49.00%	-19.05%	51.82%	32.67%	45.70%	10.60%	22.37%

Correlation

The correlation between PRG and COST is 0.02, 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	0.02
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.17
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.25
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.24
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Sep 23, 1993	0.18

The correlation between PRG and COST shifts across timeframes, from 0.02 (1 year) to 0.25 (5 years), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.

Fundamentals

EPS PRG : $3.65 COST : $26.51
PE Ratio PRG : 9.36 COST : 36.29
PEG Ratio PRG : 0.87 COST : 2.84
PS Ratio PRG : 0.76 COST : 1.09
Total Revenue (TTM) PRG : $1.81B COST : $293.59B
Gross Profit (TTM) PRG : $1.38B COST : $11.12B
EBITDA (TTM) PRG : $1.38B COST : $12.48B

Return for Risk

PRG vs. COST — Risk / Return Rank

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

PRG

PRG Risk / Return Rank: 54
PRG Sharpe Ratio Rank: 54
PRG Sortino Ratio Rank: 56
PRG Omega Ratio Rank: 52
PRG Calmar Ratio Rank: 54
PRG Martin Ratio Rank: 53

COST

COST Risk / Return Rank: 22
COST Sharpe Ratio Rank: 21
COST Sortino Ratio Rank: 19
COST Omega Ratio Rank: 20
COST Calmar Ratio Rank: 26
COST Martin Ratio Rank: 23

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.

PRG vs. COST - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for PROG Holdings, Inc. (PRG) 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.

	PRG	COST	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	0.40	-0.44	+0.84
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.13	-0.50	+1.63
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.13	0.94	+0.18
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	0.61	-0.44	+1.05
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	1.24	-0.88	+2.11
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

PRG vs. COST - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current PRG Sharpe Ratio is 0.40, which is higher than the COST Sharpe Ratio of -0.44. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of PRG 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

	PRG	COST	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.40	-0.44	+0.84
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	-0.15	0.94	-1.09
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.11	1.02	-0.91
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.16	0.59	-0.42

Drawdowns

PRG vs. COST - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum PRG drawdown since its inception was -80.87%, which is greater than COST's maximum drawdown of -53.39%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for PRG and COST.

Drawdown Indicators

	PRG	COST	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-80.87%	-53.39%	-27.48%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-31.21%	-18.95%	-12.26%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-51.86%	-20.74%	-31.12%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-77.47%	-31.40%	-46.07%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-80.87%	-31.40%	-49.47%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-46.16%	-12.11%	-34.05%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-28.42%	-13.36%	-15.06%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	15.25%	9.86%	+5.39%

Volatility

PRG vs. COST - Volatility Comparison

PROG Holdings, Inc. (PRG) has a higher volatility of 13.27% compared to Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) at 8.05%. This indicates that PRG'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

	PRG	COST	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	13.27%	8.05%	+5.22%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	36.71%	14.83%	+21.88%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	47.43%	19.12%	+28.31%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	50.73%	22.73%	+28.00%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	49.87%	21.95%	+27.92%

Dividends

PRG vs. COST - Dividend Comparison

PRG's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 1.58%, more than COST's 0.56% yield.

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%
PRG PROG Holdings, Inc.	1.58%	1.76%	1.14%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.26%	0.25%	0.30%	0.28%	0.32%	0.42%

Financials

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both PRG and COST in my portfolio?

PRG and COST have a correlation of 0.02, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, PRG or COST?

PRG has higher volatility (13.27%) compared to COST (8.05%). In terms of maximum drawdown, PRG dropped -80.87% vs COST's -53.39%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

PRG currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.40 vs -0.44), 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.