CSQ vs XLC: Correlation
Measured on weekly returns over the past three years, Calamos Strategic Total Return Fund - Closed End Fund (CSQ) and Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLC) carry a correlation of 0.79, a strong link.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are CSQ and XLC?
On 3 years of weekly data the CSQ/XLC correlation comes out at 0.79, strong. The relationship has been stable: the 1-year correlation (0.72) sits close to the 3-year figure. The 5-year figure is 0.76, and annualized covariance runs at 237.0 %².
Among the 51 assets we track against CSQ, XLC ranks #26 by 3-year correlation. The last year tells two different stories: CSQ led by 19.9 percentage points, +21.4% for CSQ against +1.5% for XLC.
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.
CSQ vs XLC: side by side
| CSQ (Calamos Strategic Total Return Fund - Closed End Fund) | XLC (Communication Services Select Sector SPDR Fund) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +21.4% | +1.5% |
| 5-year return | +64.2% | +37.5% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 18.8% | 16.0% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.22 | 0.90 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -24.2% | -18.0% |
| Market cap | $3.4B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 3.2 | – |
| Dividend yield | 2.95% | 1.32% |
| Expense ratio | – | 0.08% |
| Assets under management | – | $21.7B |
| Sector / category | US Listed | Sector ETF |
On the fund side, XLC sits in the Communications category at State Street Investment Management, with $21.7B under management, 24 holdings, a 0.08% expense ratio, a 1.32% trailing dividend yield.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | CSQ | XLC |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -24.2% | -37.6% |
| 2023 | +20.9% | +52.8% |
| 2024 | +28.2% | +34.7% |
| 2025 | +16.3% | +23.1% |
| 2026 | +14.3% | -4.8% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are CSQ and XLC good diversifiers for each other?
To a limited degree. At 0.79 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 CSQ and XLC?
Using weekly returns as of 2026-08-27: 0.79 over 3 years, with 0.72 over the last year and 0.76 over 5 years.
Is XLC a good diversifier for CSQ?
To a limited degree. At 0.79 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 0.79 mean?
On the −1 to +1 scale, 0.79 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/csq-vs-xlc.json
Markdown for the live badge, attribution link included:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/csq-vs-xlc/)
The core API is free. Terms and every endpoint in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: CSQ correlations · XLC correlations
