CNS vs QQQ: Correlation
Cohen & Steers Inc (CNS) and Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) show a weak relationship: their 3-year correlation of weekly returns is 0.28.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are CNS and QQQ?
Over the past 3 years, CNS and QQQ moved with a correlation of 0.28, which is weak. Lately the two have drifted apart, with the 1-year correlation at 0.14 versus 0.28 over 3 years. Over 5 years the correlation is 0.44, and the annualized covariance of weekly returns is 164.2 %².
Out of 13 assets tracked against CNS, QQQ lands near the bottom at #10. The trailing year gives QQQ the advantage: +13.7% versus +26.3%, a 12.6-point spread. Note the risk asymmetry: CNS runs 1.6 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.
CNS vs QQQ: side by side
| CNS (Cohen & Steers Inc) | QQQ (Invesco QQQ Trust) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +13.7% | +26.3% |
| 5-year return | +11.8% | +95.4% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 30.4% | 19.6% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.83 | 1.28 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -42.6% | -22.8% |
| Market cap | $4.2B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 25.7 | – |
| Dividend yield | 3.10% | 0.44% |
| Expense ratio | – | 0.18% |
| Assets under management | – | $452.8B |
| Sector / category | US Listed | 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 | CNS | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -28.0% | -32.6% |
| 2023 | +21.8% | +54.9% |
| 2024 | +25.5% | +25.6% |
| 2025 | -29.8% | +20.8% |
| 2026 | +35.3% | +17.7% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are CNS and QQQ good diversifiers for each other?
Reasonably. At 0.28, CNS and QQQ keep a meaningful degree of independence, and combining them has historically reduced portfolio volatility.
FAQ
What is the correlation between CNS and QQQ?
Using weekly returns as of 2026-08-27: 0.28 over 3 years, with 0.14 over the last year and 0.44 over 5 years.
Is QQQ a good diversifier for CNS?
Reasonably. At 0.28, CNS and QQQ keep a meaningful degree of independence, and combining them has historically reduced portfolio volatility.
What does a correlation of 0.28 mean?
On the −1 to +1 scale, 0.28 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/cns-vs-qqq.json
Embed this badge (it refreshes with the data), with attribution:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/cns-vs-qqq/)
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Related comparisons
Hubs: CNS correlations · QQQ correlations
