EFX vs QUAL: Correlation
Measured on weekly returns over the past three years, Equifax (EFX) and iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL) carry a correlation of 0.59, a moderate link.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are EFX and QUAL?
Over the past 3 years, EFX and QUAL moved with a correlation of 0.59, which is moderate. The link has loosened recently: the 1-year correlation (0.34) runs below the 3-year figure (0.59). Over 5 years the correlation is 0.66, and the annualized covariance of weekly returns is 272.1 %².
Among the 53 assets we track against EFX, QUAL ranks #8 by 3-year correlation. The last year tells two different stories: QUAL led by 41.5 percentage points, -21.8% for EFX against +19.7% for QUAL. The rolling one-year correlation moved between 0.36 and 0.77 over the past three years, a moderate range. Risk is not evenly split, since EFX carries 2.4 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.
EFX vs QUAL: side by side
| EFX (Equifax) | QUAL (iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | -21.8% | +19.7% |
| 5-year return | -26.0% | +68.0% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 33.3% | 14.0% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.25 | 0.93 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -49.7% | -18.0% |
| Market cap | $22.4B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 33.5 | – |
| Dividend yield | 1.11% | 0.86% |
| Expense ratio | – | 0.15% |
| Assets under management | – | $46.5B |
| Sector / category | Industrials | ETF · US Style |
QUAL, iShares's Large Blend fund, carries $46.5B under management, 123 holdings, a 0.15% expense ratio, a 0.86% trailing dividend yield.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | EFX | QUAL |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -33.1% | -20.5% |
| 2023 | +28.2% | +30.9% |
| 2024 | +3.7% | +22.3% |
| 2025 | -14.2% | +12.7% |
| 2026 | -11.7% | +13.5% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are EFX and QUAL good diversifiers for each other?
Only partially. A correlation of 0.59 means EFX and QUAL 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 EFX and QUAL?
The EFX/QUAL correlation stands at 0.59 on a 3-year window (1 year: 0.34, 5 years: 0.66), computed from weekly returns as of 2026-08-27.
Is QUAL a good diversifier for EFX?
Only partially. A correlation of 0.59 means EFX and QUAL share most of their swings. Pairing them dampens volatility somewhat, but it will not protect against a common drawdown.
What does a correlation of 0.59 mean?
On the −1 to +1 scale, 0.59 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/efx-vs-qual.json
Markdown for the live badge, attribution link included:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/efx-vs-qual/)
Free with attribution; caching and terms are described in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: EFX correlations · QUAL correlations
