ECF vs NFJ: Correlation
Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund Ltd. (ECF) and Virtus Dividend, Interest & Premium Strategy Fund (NFJ) show a strong relationship: their 3-year correlation of weekly returns is 0.70.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are ECF and NFJ?
Over the past 3 years, ECF and NFJ moved with a correlation of 0.70, which is strong. The relationship has been stable: the 1-year correlation (0.60) sits close to the 3-year figure. Over 5 years the correlation is 0.77, and the annualized covariance of weekly returns is 160.5 %².
By 3-year correlation, NFJ places #4 of the 19 assets tracked against ECF. Over the last 12 months NFJ came out ahead by 8.1 percentage points (+22.9% against +31.0%).
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.
ECF vs NFJ: side by side
| ECF (Ellsworth Growth and Income Fund Ltd.) | NFJ (Virtus Dividend, Interest & Premium Strategy Fund) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +22.9% | +31.0% |
| 5-year return | +25.8% | +50.8% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 16.5% | 13.8% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.71 | 0.73 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -16.8% | -17.0% |
| Market cap | $0.2B | $1.5B |
| P/E (trailing) | 3.9 | 9.8 |
| Dividend yield | 7.38% | 7.83% |
| Sector / category | US Listed | US Listed |
Year-by-year returns
| Year | ECF | NFJ |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -31.6% | -23.9% |
| 2023 | +8.0% | +21.3% |
| 2024 | +27.5% | +10.0% |
| 2025 | +30.0% | +12.4% |
| 2026 | +10.6% | +26.1% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are ECF and NFJ good diversifiers for each other?
Somewhat, no more. With 0.70 correlation, most large moves hit both names, and the diversification benefit stays modest.
FAQ
What is the correlation between ECF and NFJ?
The ECF/NFJ correlation stands at 0.70 on a 3-year window (1 year: 0.60, 5 years: 0.77), computed from weekly returns as of 2026-08-27.
Is NFJ a good diversifier for ECF?
Somewhat, no more. With 0.70 correlation, most large moves hit both names, and the diversification benefit stays modest.
What does a correlation of 0.70 mean?
A reading of 0.70 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/ecf-vs-nfj.json
Drop this badge in a README or notebook; it updates with the data:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/ecf-vs-nfj/)
No key needed, free to use. Full endpoint list in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: ECF correlations · NFJ correlations
