DSU vs QQQ: Correlation
Blackrock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc. (DSU) and Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) show a moderate relationship: their 3-year correlation of weekly returns is 0.56.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are DSU and QQQ?
Over the past 3 years, DSU and QQQ moved with a correlation of 0.56, which is moderate. Recent behaviour matches the longer record: 0.59 over 1 year against 0.56 over 3. Over 5 years the correlation is 0.52, and the annualized covariance of weekly returns is 102.6 %².
By 3-year correlation, QQQ places #7 of the 12 assets tracked against DSU. Correlation aside, the last 12 months split them widely, with QQQ ahead by 26.5 points (-0.2% versus +26.3%). Risk is not evenly split, since QQQ carries 2.1 times the volatility of the other side.
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.
DSU vs QQQ: side by side
| DSU (Blackrock Debt Strategies Fund, Inc.) | QQQ (Invesco QQQ Trust) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | -0.2% | +26.3% |
| 5-year return | +35.2% | +95.4% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 9.3% | 19.6% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.41 | 1.28 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -14.6% | -22.8% |
| Market cap | $0.6B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 13.6 | – |
| Dividend yield | 12.59% | 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 | DSU | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -15.5% | -32.6% |
| 2023 | +30.4% | +54.9% |
| 2024 | +11.2% | +25.6% |
| 2025 | +6.0% | +20.8% |
| 2026 | +0.1% | +17.7% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are DSU and QQQ good diversifiers for each other?
Only partially. A correlation of 0.56 means DSU and QQQ share most of their swings. Pairing them dampens volatility somewhat, but it will not protect against a common drawdown.
FAQ
What is the correlation between DSU and QQQ?
The DSU/QQQ correlation stands at 0.56 on a 3-year window (1 year: 0.59, 5 years: 0.52), computed from weekly returns as of 2026-08-27.
Is QQQ a good diversifier for DSU?
Only partially. A correlation of 0.56 means DSU and QQQ share most of their swings. Pairing them dampens volatility somewhat, but it will not protect against a common drawdown.
What does a correlation of 0.56 mean?
Correlation ranges from −1 to +1. Values near +1 mean two assets move together, near 0 that they move independently, and negative values that they tend to move in opposite directions. It measures co-movement, not performance.
Use this data
$ curl https://www.pairbook.io/api/v1/pairs/dsu-vs-qqq.json
Embed this badge (it refreshes with the data), with attribution:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/dsu-vs-qqq/)
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Related comparisons
Hubs: DSU correlations · QQQ correlations
