APP vs VUG: Correlation
Measured on weekly returns over the past three years, AppLovin (APP) and Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG) 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 APP and VUG?
Over the past 3 years, APP and VUG moved with a correlation of 0.57, which is moderate. Little has changed lately, as the 1-year reading of 0.55 lands near the 3-year figure. Over 5 years the correlation is 0.58, and the annualized covariance of weekly returns is 931.4 %².
By 3-year correlation, VUG places #4 of the 44 assets tracked against APP. Their recent paths diverged sharply: over the last 12 months VUG outperformed by 48.7 percentage points (-32.5% for APP against +16.2% for VUG). On a rolling one-year basis the correlation drifted between 0.32 and 0.72, a moderate band. One caveat on sizing: APP is 4.3 times as volatile as the other leg, so an equal-dollar split is far from equal-risk.
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.
APP vs VUG: side by side
| APP (AppLovin) | VUG (Vanguard Growth ETF) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | -32.5% | +16.2% |
| 5-year return | +326.5% | +78.4% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 84.3% | 19.4% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 3.10 | 1.28 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -59.3% | -22.8% |
| Market cap | $105.0B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 23.7 | – |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.40% |
| Expense ratio | – | 0.03% |
| Assets under management | – | $372.0B |
| Sector / category | Communication Services | ETF · US Style |
VUG, Vanguard's Large Growth fund, carries $372.0B under management, 146 holdings, a 0.03% expense ratio, a 0.40% trailing dividend yield.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | APP | VUG |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -88.8% | -33.2% |
| 2023 | +278.4% | +46.8% |
| 2024 | +712.6% | +32.7% |
| 2025 | +108.1% | +19.4% |
| 2026 | -53.6% | +9.6% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Fund exposure
A structural note: 0.32% of VUG is APP itself, so the fund partly moves with the stock by construction.
Are APP and VUG good diversifiers for each other?
Only partially. A correlation of 0.57 means APP and VUG 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 APP and VUG?
As of 2026-08-27, the correlation of weekly returns between APP and VUG is 0.57 over 3 years, 0.55 over 1 year and 0.58 over 5 years.
Is VUG a good diversifier for APP?
Only partially. A correlation of 0.57 means APP and VUG share most of their swings. Pairing them dampens volatility somewhat, but it will not protect against a common drawdown.
What does a correlation of 0.57 mean?
On the −1 to +1 scale, 0.57 describes how much the two returns move together: +1 is lockstep, 0 is independence, negative values mean opposite directions. It says nothing about which performed better.
Use this data
$ curl https://www.pairbook.io/api/v1/pairs/app-vs-vug.json
Markdown for the live badge, attribution link included:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/app-vs-vug/)
The core API is free. Terms and every endpoint in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: APP correlations · VUG correlations
