BLK vs NFJ: Correlation
How closely do BlackRock (BLK) and Virtus Dividend, Interest & Premium Strategy Fund (NFJ) trade together? Their weekly returns over three years give a correlation of 0.69, which is strong.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are BLK and NFJ?
Over the past 3 years, BLK and NFJ moved with a correlation of 0.69, which is strong. The link has loosened recently: the 1-year correlation (0.54) runs below the 3-year figure (0.69). Over 5 years the correlation is 0.75, and the annualized covariance of weekly returns is 237.1 %².
By 3-year correlation, NFJ places #9 of the 42 assets tracked against BLK. Their recent paths diverged sharply: over the last 12 months NFJ outperformed by 25.7 percentage points (+5.3% for BLK against +31.0% for NFJ). One caveat on sizing: BLK is 1.8 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.
BLK vs NFJ: side by side
| BLK (BlackRock) | NFJ (Virtus Dividend, Interest & Premium Strategy Fund) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +5.3% | +31.0% |
| 5-year return | +38.9% | +50.8% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 24.7% | 13.8% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.19 | 0.73 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -23.7% | -17.0% |
| Market cap | $189.7B | $1.5B |
| P/E (trailing) | 28.1 | 9.8 |
| Dividend yield | 1.86% | 7.83% |
| Sector / category | Financials | US Listed |
Year-by-year returns
| Year | BLK | NFJ |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -20.4% | -23.9% |
| 2023 | +17.9% | +21.3% |
| 2024 | +29.3% | +10.0% |
| 2025 | +6.6% | +12.4% |
| 2026 | +10.3% | +26.1% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are BLK and NFJ good diversifiers for each other?
To a limited degree. At 0.69 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 BLK and NFJ?
As of 2026-08-27, the correlation of weekly returns between BLK and NFJ is 0.69 over 3 years, 0.54 over 1 year and 0.75 over 5 years.
Is NFJ a good diversifier for BLK?
To a limited degree. At 0.69 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 0.69 mean?
A reading of 0.69 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/blk-vs-nfj.json
Drop this badge in a README or notebook; it updates with the data:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/blk-vs-nfj/)
No key needed, free to use. Full endpoint list in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: BLK correlations · NFJ correlations
