CYTK vs SPY: Correlation
Measured on weekly returns over the past three years, Cytokinetics, Incorporated (CYTK) and SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) carry a correlation of 0.18, a weak link.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are CYTK and SPY?
On 3 years of weekly data the CYTK/SPY correlation comes out at 0.18, weak. Recent behaviour matches the longer record: 0.13 over 1 year against 0.18 over 3. The 5-year figure is 0.20, and annualized covariance runs at 192.1 %².
Out of 13 assets tracked against CYTK, SPY lands near the bottom at #9. Their recent paths diverged sharply: over the last 12 months CYTK outperformed by 85.3 percentage points (+105.9% for CYTK against +20.6% for SPY). One caveat on sizing: CYTK is 5.1 times as volatile as the other leg, so an equal-dollar split is far from equal-risk.
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.
CYTK vs SPY: side by side
| CYTK (Cytokinetics, Incorporated) | SPY (SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +105.9% | +20.6% |
| 5-year return | +138.5% | +82.4% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 73.4% | 14.5% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.92 | 1.00 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -72.4% | -18.8% |
| Market cap | $10.8B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | – | – |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 1.01% |
| Expense ratio | – | 0.09% |
| Assets under management | – | $795.3B |
| Sector / category | US Listed | ETF · US Large Cap |
SPY is a Large Blend fund from State Street Investment Management: $795.3B under management, 504 holdings, a 0.09% expense ratio, a 1.01% trailing dividend yield.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | CYTK | SPY |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +0.5% | -18.2% |
| 2023 | +82.2% | +26.2% |
| 2024 | -43.7% | +24.9% |
| 2025 | +35.1% | +17.7% |
| 2026 | +22.6% | +13.7% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are CYTK and SPY good diversifiers for each other?
Yes: at 0.18, the two have gone their own ways historically, which is what genuine diversification looks like.
FAQ
What is the correlation between CYTK and SPY?
The CYTK/SPY correlation stands at 0.18 on a 3-year window (1 year: 0.13, 5 years: 0.20), computed from weekly returns as of 2026-08-27.
Is SPY a good diversifier for CYTK?
Yes: at 0.18, the two have gone their own ways historically, which is what genuine diversification looks like.
What does a correlation of 0.18 mean?
On the −1 to +1 scale, 0.18 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.
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Related comparisons
Hubs: CYTK correlations · SPY correlations
