AWK vs VUG: Correlation
How closely do American Water Works (AWK) and Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG) trade together? Their weekly returns over three years give a correlation of -0.19, which is negative.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are AWK and VUG?
Over the past 3 years, AWK and VUG moved with a correlation of -0.19, which is negative, meaning they tend to move in opposite directions. The link has loosened recently: the 1-year correlation (-0.43) runs below the 3-year figure (-0.19). Over 5 years the correlation is 0.21, and the annualized covariance of weekly returns is -75.2 %².
By 3-year correlation, VUG places #24 of the 49 assets tracked against AWK. Their recent paths diverged sharply: over the last 12 months VUG outperformed by 19.2 percentage points (-3.0% for AWK against +16.2% for VUG). This link changes with the market regime, having swung between -0.51 and 0.56 on a rolling one-year basis.
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.
AWK vs VUG: side by side
| AWK (American Water Works) | VUG (Vanguard Growth ETF) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | -3.0% | +16.2% |
| 5-year return | -16.6% | +78.4% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 20.7% | 19.4% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | -0.11 | 1.28 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -18.8% | -22.8% |
| Market cap | $27.2B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 23.7 | – |
| Dividend yield | 2.46% | 0.40% |
| Expense ratio | – | 0.03% |
| Assets under management | – | $372.0B |
| Sector / category | Utilities | 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 | AWK | VUG |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -17.9% | -33.2% |
| 2023 | -11.7% | +46.8% |
| 2024 | -3.5% | +32.7% |
| 2025 | +7.4% | +19.4% |
| 2026 | +6.9% | +9.6% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are AWK and VUG good diversifiers for each other?
Yes: at -0.19, the two have gone their own ways historically, which is what genuine diversification looks like.
FAQ
What is the correlation between AWK and VUG?
The AWK/VUG correlation stands at -0.19 on a 3-year window (1 year: -0.43, 5 years: 0.21), computed from weekly returns as of 2026-08-27.
Is VUG a good diversifier for AWK?
Yes: at -0.19, the two have gone their own ways historically, which is what genuine diversification looks like.
What does a correlation of -0.19 mean?
A reading of -0.19 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/awk-vs-vug.json
Markdown for the live badge, attribution link included:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/awk-vs-vug/)
The core API is free. Terms and every endpoint in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: AWK correlations · VUG correlations
