CI vs XLP: Correlation
Cigna (CI) and Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) show a moderate relationship: their 3-year correlation of weekly returns is 0.41.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are CI and XLP?
On 3 years of weekly data the CI/XLP correlation comes out at 0.41, moderate. Lately the two have moved closer together, with the 1-year correlation at 0.51 versus 0.41 over 3 years. The 5-year figure is 0.42, and annualized covariance runs at 123.5 %².
By 3-year correlation, XLP places #9 of the 30 assets tracked against CI. The trailing year gives XLP the advantage: -5.4% versus +8.3%, a 13.7-point spread. The rolling one-year correlation moved between 0.08 and 0.55 over the past three years, a moderate range. Risk is not evenly split, since CI carries 2.4 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.
CI vs XLP: side by side
| CI (Cigna) | XLP (Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | -5.4% | +8.3% |
| 5-year return | +46.7% | +34.7% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 26.7% | 11.1% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.22 | 0.23 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -32.1% | -9.7% |
| Market cap | $73.4B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 11.6 | – |
| Dividend yield | 2.19% | 2.58% |
| Expense ratio | – | 0.08% |
| Assets under management | – | $14.6B |
| Sector / category | Health Care | Sector ETF |
On the fund side, XLP sits in the Consumer Defensive category at State Street Investment Management, with $14.6B under management, 35 holdings, a 0.08% expense ratio, a 2.58% trailing dividend yield.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | CI | XLP |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +46.7% | -0.8% |
| 2023 | -8.0% | -0.8% |
| 2024 | -6.3% | +12.2% |
| 2025 | +1.7% | +1.5% |
| 2026 | +2.0% | +10.9% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are CI and XLP good diversifiers for each other?
A fair diversifier. At 0.41, enough of each asset's movement is its own that the pair has smoothed outcomes historically.
FAQ
What is the correlation between CI and XLP?
As of 2026-08-27, the correlation of weekly returns between CI and XLP is 0.41 over 3 years, 0.51 over 1 year and 0.42 over 5 years.
Is XLP a good diversifier for CI?
A fair diversifier. At 0.41, enough of each asset's movement is its own that the pair has smoothed outcomes historically.
What does a correlation of 0.41 mean?
On the −1 to +1 scale, 0.41 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/ci-vs-xlp.json
Markdown for the live badge, attribution link included:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/ci-vs-xlp/)
The core API is free. Terms and every endpoint in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: CI correlations · XLP correlations
