GD vs MSM: Correlation
General Dynamics (GD) and MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. (MSM) show a moderate relationship: their 3-year correlation of weekly returns is 0.46.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are GD and MSM?
Over the past 3 years, GD and MSM moved with a correlation of 0.46, which is moderate. The past 12 months show a weaker link (0.32) than the 3-year average (0.46). Over 5 years the correlation is 0.47, and the annualized covariance of weekly returns is 246.5 %².
Within GD's tracked universe of 30 assets, MSM comes in at #15 by 3-year correlation. Their recent paths diverged sharply: over the last 12 months MSM outperformed by 19.3 percentage points (+18.8% for GD against +38.1% for MSM).
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.
GD vs MSM: side by side
| GD (General Dynamics) | MSM (MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc.) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +18.8% | +38.1% |
| 5-year return | +111.9% | +73.8% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 21.1% | 25.3% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.52 | 0.78 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -22.5% | -29.3% |
| Market cap | $102.8B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 23.3 | 29.6 |
| Dividend yield | 1.62% | 2.84% |
| Sector / category | Industrials | US Listed |
Year-by-year returns
| Year | GD | MSM |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +21.7% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | +7.1% | +28.5% |
| 2024 | +3.5% | -23.4% |
| 2025 | +30.4% | +17.4% |
| 2026 | +14.4% | +49.1% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are GD and MSM good diversifiers for each other?
A fair diversifier. At 0.46, enough of each asset's movement is its own that the pair has smoothed outcomes historically.
FAQ
What is the correlation between GD and MSM?
As of 2026-08-27, the correlation of weekly returns between GD and MSM is 0.46 over 3 years, 0.32 over 1 year and 0.47 over 5 years.
Is MSM a good diversifier for GD?
A fair diversifier. At 0.46, enough of each asset's movement is its own that the pair has smoothed outcomes historically.
What does a correlation of 0.46 mean?
A reading of 0.46 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/gd-vs-msm.json
Markdown for the live badge, attribution link included:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/gd-vs-msm/)
The core API is free. Terms and every endpoint in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: GD correlations · MSM correlations
