URBN vs. COST
URBN (Urban Outfitters, Inc.) and COST (Costco Wholesale Corporation) are both stocks. URBN operates in Apparel Retail (Consumer Cyclical), while COST operates in Discount Stores (Consumer Defensive). Over the past 10 years, URBN returned 9.96%/yr vs 21.10%/yr for COST. Their 0.27 correlation means their historical movements had little consistent relationship.
Performance
URBN vs. COST - Performance Comparison
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Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, URBN achieves a -1.44% return, which is significantly lower than COST's 10.87% return. Over the past 10 years, URBN has underperformed COST with an annualized return of 9.96%, while COST has yielded a comparatively higher 21.10% annualized return.
URBN
- 1D
- -2.06%
- 1M
- 4.89%
- 6M
- 4.70%
- YTD
- -1.44%
- 1Y
- -2.66%
- 3Y*
- 26.40%
- 5Y*
- 14.81%
- 10Y*
- 9.96%
- ALL TIME*
- 10.44%
COST
- 1D
- -0.24%
- 1M
- 0.18%
- 6M
- 1.55%
- YTD
- 10.87%
- 1Y
- 0.52%
- 3Y*
- 21.34%
- 5Y*
- 18.51%
- 10Y*
- 21.10%
- ALL TIME*
- 16.98%
Liquidity Comparison
| Position | Avg. Volume Value (2W) | Avg. Volume Value (1M) | Avg. Volume Value (3M) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1.83B | $2.11B | $2.34B | |
| $72.92M | $75.40M | $89.34M |
URBN vs. COST - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
URBN Urban Outfitters, Inc. | -1.44% | 37.14% | 53.77% | 49.64% | -18.77% | 14.69% | -7.81% | -16.36% | -5.31% | 23.10% |
COST Costco Wholesale Corporation | 10.87% | -5.39% | 39.62% | 49.00% | -19.05% | 51.82% | 32.67% | 45.70% | 10.60% | 22.37% |
Correlation
The correlation between URBN and COST is 0.11, which is low. Their historical price movements had little consistent relationship.
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most. | 0.11 |
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history. | 0.17 |
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period. | 0.24 |
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions. | 0.22 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 9, 1993 | 0.27 |
The correlation between URBN and COST shifts across timeframes, from 0.11 (1 year) to 0.27 (all time), reflecting how their relationship changes across market environments.
Fundamentals
URBN:
$6.35B
COST:
$422.14B
URBN:
$5.21
COST:
$26.51
URBN:
14.25
COST:
35.91
URBN:
0.61
COST:
2.81
URBN:
1.07
COST:
1.08
URBN:
$6.32B
COST:
$293.59B
URBN:
$2.27B
COST:
$11.12B
URBN:
$603.32M
COST:
$12.48B
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Return for Risk
URBN vs. COST — Risk / Return Rank
URBN
COST
URBN vs. COST - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Urban Outfitters, Inc. (URBN) 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.
| URBN | COST | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | -0.14 | ||
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | -0.01 | ||
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.03 | 1.03 | 0.00 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | -0.06 | 0.12 | -0.18 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | -0.10 | 0.26 | -0.36 |
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Drawdowns
URBN vs. COST - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum URBN drawdown since its inception was -83.96%, which is greater than COST's maximum drawdown of -53.39%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for URBN and COST.
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Drawdown Indicators
| URBN | COST | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -83.96% | -53.39% | -30.57% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -26.32% | -16.57% | -9.75% |
Max Drawdown (3Y)Largest decline over 3 years | -28.53% | -20.74% | -7.79% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -55.83% | -31.40% | -24.43% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -73.80% | -31.40% | -42.40% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -10.30% | -12.88% | +2.58% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -32.47% | -13.36% | -19.11% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 14.50% | 7.81% | +6.69% |
Volatility
URBN vs. COST - Volatility Comparison
Urban Outfitters, Inc. (URBN) has a higher volatility of 11.25% compared to Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST) at 7.34%. This indicates that URBN'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
| URBN | COST | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 11.25% | 7.34% | +3.91% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 27.19% | 15.13% | +12.06% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 44.07% | 19.96% | +24.11% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 47.36% | 22.93% | +24.43% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 48.91% | 22.03% | +26.88% |
Dividends
URBN vs. COST - Dividend Comparison
URBN has not paid dividends to shareholders, while COST's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.72%.
| 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% |
URBN Urban Outfitters, 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
URBN vs. COST - Financials Comparison
This section allows you to compare key financial metrics between Urban Outfitters, 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
URBN vs. COST - Profitability Comparison
URBN - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Urban Outfitters, Inc. reported a gross profit of 542.57M and revenue of 1.48B. Therefore, the gross margin over that period was 36.6%.
COST - Gross Margin
Gross margin is calculated as gross profit divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 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%.
URBN - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Urban Outfitters, Inc. reported an operating income of 139.68M and revenue of 1.48B, resulting in an operating margin of 9.4%.
COST - Operating Margin
Operating margin is calculated as operating income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Costco Wholesale Corporation reported an operating income of 2.82B and revenue of 70.53B, resulting in an operating margin of 4.0%.
URBN - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 2026, Urban Outfitters, Inc. reported a net income of 115.71M and revenue of 1.48B, resulting in a net margin of 7.8%.
COST - Net Margin
Net margin is calculated as net income divided by revenue. For the three months ending on Aug 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
URBN and COST have a correlation of 0.11, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.
URBN has higher volatility (11.25%) compared to COST (7.34%). In terms of maximum drawdown, URBN dropped -83.96% vs COST's -53.39%.
COST currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (0.10 vs -0.03), 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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