CIEN vs QQQ: Correlation
Measured on weekly returns over the past three years, Ciena (CIEN) and Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) carry a correlation of 0.47, a moderate link.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are CIEN and QQQ?
Over the past 3 years, CIEN and QQQ moved with a correlation of 0.47, which is moderate. Lately the two have drifted apart, with the 1-year correlation at 0.26 versus 0.47 over 3 years. Over 5 years the correlation is 0.49, and the annualized covariance of weekly returns is 459.5 %².
By 3-year correlation, QQQ places #16 of the 28 assets tracked against CIEN. The last year tells two different stories: CIEN led by 304.9 percentage points, +331.2% for CIEN against +26.3% for QQQ. This link changes with the market regime, having swung between 0.16 and 0.73 on a rolling one-year basis. Note the risk asymmetry: CIEN runs 2.6 times the annualized volatility of the other leg, so equal-weighting the two is not an equal-risk position.
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.
CIEN vs QQQ: side by side
| CIEN (Ciena) | QQQ (Invesco QQQ Trust) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +331.2% | +26.3% |
| 5-year return | +598.5% | +95.4% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 50.1% | 19.6% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.59 | 1.28 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -47.3% | -22.8% |
| Market cap | $56.6B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 133.7 | – |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.44% |
| Expense ratio | – | 0.18% |
| Assets under management | – | $452.8B |
| Sector / category | Information Technology | ETF · US Growth & Tech |
QQQ is a Large Growth fund from Invesco: $452.8B under management, 104 holdings, a 0.18% expense ratio, a 0.44% trailing dividend yield.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | CIEN | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -33.8% | -32.6% |
| 2023 | -11.7% | +54.9% |
| 2024 | +88.4% | +25.6% |
| 2025 | +175.8% | +20.8% |
| 2026 | +71.0% | +17.7% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are CIEN and QQQ good diversifiers for each other?
Yes, to a useful degree: a correlation of 0.47 leaves real independence between the two, which historically damped combined volatility.
FAQ
What is the correlation between CIEN and QQQ?
Using weekly returns as of 2026-08-27: 0.47 over 3 years, with 0.26 over the last year and 0.49 over 5 years.
Is QQQ a good diversifier for CIEN?
Yes, to a useful degree: a correlation of 0.47 leaves real independence between the two, which historically damped combined volatility.
What does a correlation of 0.47 mean?
On the −1 to +1 scale, 0.47 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
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Embed this badge (it refreshes with the data), with attribution:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/cien-vs-qqq/)
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Related comparisons
Hubs: CIEN correlations · QQQ correlations
