ABBV vs XLV: Correlation
Measured on weekly returns over the past three years, AbbVie (ABBV) and Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) carry a correlation of 0.64, a strong link.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are ABBV and XLV?
Across a 3-year window, the weekly returns of ABBV and XLV correlate at 0.64, strong. Little has changed lately, as the 1-year reading of 0.73 lands near the 3-year figure. Stretching to 5 years gives 0.63, with an annualized covariance of 249.4 %².
XLV is one of the assets that tracks ABBV most closely: it ranks #1 out of the 34 assets we track against ABBV. Neither side won the trailing year by much: +27.9% against +27.5%. The rolling one-year correlation stayed in a tight band between 0.49 and 0.72 over the past three years, which points to a structural rather than episodic relationship. Risk is not evenly split, since ABBV carries 1.8 times the volatility of the other side.
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.
ABBV vs XLV: side by side
| ABBV (AbbVie) | XLV (Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +27.9% | +27.5% |
| 5-year return | +157.2% | +37.4% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 26.4% | 14.7% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.08 | 0.42 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -20.7% | -17.1% |
| Market cap | $456.2B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 74.0 | – |
| Dividend yield | 2.60% | 1.56% |
| Expense ratio | – | 0.08% |
| Assets under management | – | $41.7B |
| Sector / category | Health Care | Sector ETF |
On the fund side, XLV sits in the Health category at State Street Investment Management, with $41.7B under management, 61 holdings, a 0.08% expense ratio, a 1.56% trailing dividend yield.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | ABBV | XLV |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +24.0% | -2.1% |
| 2023 | -0.2% | +2.1% |
| 2024 | +18.9% | +2.5% |
| 2025 | +33.1% | +14.5% |
| 2026 | +15.7% | +11.8% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Fund exposure
Keep in mind that XLV holds ABBV at a 7.42% weight, which makes a slice of this correlation mechanical rather than coincidental.
Are ABBV and XLV good diversifiers for each other?
Only partially. A correlation of 0.64 means ABBV and XLV share most of their swings. Pairing them dampens volatility somewhat, but it will not protect against a common drawdown.
FAQ
What is the correlation between ABBV and XLV?
Using weekly returns as of 2026-08-27: 0.64 over 3 years, with 0.73 over the last year and 0.63 over 5 years.
Is XLV a good diversifier for ABBV?
Only partially. A correlation of 0.64 means ABBV and XLV share most of their swings. Pairing them dampens volatility somewhat, but it will not protect against a common drawdown.
What does a correlation of 0.64 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/abbv-vs-xlv.json
Drop this badge in a README or notebook; it updates with the data:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/abbv-vs-xlv/)
Free with attribution; caching and terms are described in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: ABBV correlations · XLV correlations
