COST vs QQQ: Correlation
How closely do Costco (COST) and Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) trade together? Their weekly returns over three years give a correlation of 0.32, which is moderate.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are COST and QQQ?
Over the past 3 years, COST and QQQ moved with a correlation of 0.32, which is moderate. The link has loosened recently: the 1-year correlation (-0.10) runs below the 3-year figure (0.32). Over 5 years the correlation is 0.50, and the annualized covariance of weekly returns is 123.9 %².
By 3-year correlation, QQQ places #19 of the 33 assets tracked against COST. The last year tells two different stories: QQQ led by 27.3 percentage points, -1.0% for COST against +26.3% for QQQ. Do not treat this figure as fixed: across three years the rolling one-year correlation ranged all the way from -0.10 to 0.68.
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.
COST vs QQQ: side by side
| COST (Costco) | QQQ (Invesco QQQ Trust) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | -1.0% | +26.3% |
| 5-year return | +116.3% | +95.4% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 19.8% | 19.6% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.45 | 1.28 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -20.7% | -22.8% |
| Market cap | $414.5B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 48.1 | – |
| Dividend yield | 0.56% | 0.44% |
| Expense ratio | – | 0.18% |
| Assets under management | – | $452.8B |
| Sector / category | Consumer Staples | 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 | COST | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -19.0% | -32.6% |
| 2023 | +49.0% | +54.9% |
| 2024 | +39.6% | +25.6% |
| 2025 | -5.4% | +20.8% |
| 2026 | +8.9% | +17.7% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Fund exposure
COST represents 1.88% of QQQ's portfolio, so part of any move in QQQ is COST itself, and the correlation between them is partly mechanical.
Are COST and QQQ good diversifiers for each other?
A fair diversifier. At 0.32, enough of each asset's movement is its own that the pair has smoothed outcomes historically.
FAQ
What is the correlation between COST and QQQ?
As of 2026-08-27, the correlation of weekly returns between COST and QQQ is 0.32 over 3 years, -0.10 over 1 year and 0.50 over 5 years.
Is QQQ a good diversifier for COST?
A fair diversifier. At 0.32, enough of each asset's movement is its own that the pair has smoothed outcomes historically.
What does a correlation of 0.32 mean?
A reading of 0.32 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/cost-vs-qqq.json
Embed this badge (it refreshes with the data), with attribution:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/cost-vs-qqq/)
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Related comparisons
Hubs: COST correlations · QQQ correlations
