COST vs WMT: Correlation
Measured on weekly returns over the past three years, Costco (COST) and Walmart (WMT) carry a correlation of 0.57, a moderate link.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are COST and WMT?
Over the past 3 years, COST and WMT moved with a correlation of 0.57, which is moderate. Little has changed lately, as the 1-year reading of 0.52 lands near the 3-year figure. Over 5 years the correlation is 0.64, and the annualized covariance of weekly returns is 258.4 %².
Few assets follow COST as closely as WMT, which ranks #1 of 33 tracked partners. Over the last 12 months WMT came out ahead by 8.7 percentage points (-1.0% against +7.7%). Across three years, the rolling one-year figure varied moderately, from 0.29 to 0.77.
How is this computed?
Pearson correlation on weekly returns: ρ(A,B) = cov(rA, rB) / (σA · σB), over windows of 52, 156 and 260 weeks. Covariance is annualized (×52) and expressed in %². Full definitions on the methodology page.
COST vs WMT: side by side
| COST (Costco) | WMT (Walmart) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | -1.0% | +7.7% |
| 5-year return | +116.3% | +121.9% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 19.8% | 23.0% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.45 | 0.53 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -20.7% | -23.3% |
| Market cap | $414.5B | $816.7B |
| P/E (trailing) | 48.1 | 37.1 |
| Dividend yield | 0.56% | 0.92% |
| Sector / category | Consumer Staples | Consumer Staples |
Year-by-year returns
| Year | COST | WMT |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -19.0% | -0.5% |
| 2023 | +49.0% | +12.9% |
| 2024 | +39.6% | +74.0% |
| 2025 | -5.4% | +24.5% |
| 2026 | +8.9% | -7.3% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are COST and WMT good diversifiers for each other?
To a limited degree. At 0.57 the two still catch most of the same waves, so the pair smooths returns a little without insulating either from a shared selloff.
FAQ
What is the correlation between COST and WMT?
The COST/WMT correlation stands at 0.57 on a 3-year window (1 year: 0.52, 5 years: 0.64), computed from weekly returns as of 2026-08-27.
Is WMT a good diversifier for COST?
To a limited degree. At 0.57 the two still catch most of the same waves, so the pair smooths returns a little without insulating either from a shared selloff.
What does a correlation of 0.57 mean?
Correlation ranges from −1 to +1. Values near +1 mean two assets move together, near 0 that they move independently, and negative values that they tend to move in opposite directions. It measures co-movement, not performance.
Use this data
$ curl https://www.pairbook.io/api/v1/pairs/cost-vs-wmt.json
Embed this badge (it refreshes with the data), with attribution:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/cost-vs-wmt/)
Free with attribution; caching and terms are described in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: COST correlations · WMT correlations
