AAPL vs MSFT: Correlation
How closely do Apple Inc. (AAPL) and Microsoft (MSFT) trade together? Their weekly returns over three years give a correlation of 0.17, which is weak.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are AAPL and MSFT?
Over the past 3 years, AAPL and MSFT moved with a correlation of 0.17, which is weak. Lately the two have drifted apart, with the 1-year correlation at -0.05 versus 0.17 over 3 years. Over 5 years the correlation is 0.40, and the annualized covariance of weekly returns is 128.1 %².
Within AAPL's tracked universe of 32 assets, MSFT comes in at #22 by 3-year correlation. Their recent paths diverged sharply: over the last 12 months AAPL outperformed by 36.5 percentage points (+37.0% for AAPL against +0.5% for MSFT). The relationship is regime-dependent: the rolling one-year correlation swung between -0.05 and 0.62 over the past three years, so this pair behaves very differently depending on the market environment.
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.
AAPL vs MSFT: side by side
| AAPL (Apple Inc.) | MSFT (Microsoft) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +37.0% | +0.5% |
| 5-year return | +110.6% | +73.3% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 27.2% | 27.5% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.06 | 1.12 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -33.4% | -34.5% |
| Market cap | $4,591.0B | $3,750.3B |
| P/E (trailing) | 36.1 | 28.1 |
| Dividend yield | 0.33% | 0.73% |
| Sector / category | Information Technology | Information Technology |
Year-by-year returns
| Year | AAPL | MSFT |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -26.4% | -28.0% |
| 2023 | +49.0% | +58.2% |
| 2024 | +30.7% | +12.9% |
| 2025 | +9.1% | +15.6% |
| 2026 | +16.0% | +5.1% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are AAPL and MSFT good diversifiers for each other?
By historical standards, yes. A correlation of 0.17 means the two rarely move for the same reasons.
FAQ
What is the correlation between AAPL and MSFT?
As of 2026-08-27, the correlation of weekly returns between AAPL and MSFT is 0.17 over 3 years, -0.05 over 1 year and 0.40 over 5 years.
Is MSFT a good diversifier for AAPL?
By historical standards, yes. A correlation of 0.17 means the two rarely move for the same reasons.
What does a correlation of 0.17 mean?
A reading of 0.17 sits on a scale from −1 (opposite moves) through 0 (unrelated) to +1 (identical moves). Correlation captures direction, not magnitude or performance.
Use this data
$ curl https://www.pairbook.io/api/v1/pairs/aapl-vs-msft.json
Drop this badge in a README or notebook; it updates with the data:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/aapl-vs-msft/)
The core API is free. Terms and every endpoint in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: AAPL correlations · MSFT correlations
