GOOG vs VUG: Correlation
Alphabet Inc. (Class C) (GOOG) and Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG) show a strong relationship: their 3-year correlation of weekly returns is 0.62.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are GOOG and VUG?
Across a 3-year window, the weekly returns of GOOG and VUG correlate at 0.62, strong. The relationship has been stable: the 1-year correlation (0.63) sits close to the 3-year figure. Stretching to 5 years gives 0.69, with an annualized covariance of 373.9 %².
VUG is one of the assets that tracks GOOG most closely: it ranks #2 out of the 36 assets we track against GOOG. Their recent paths diverged sharply: over the last 12 months GOOG outperformed by 46.5 percentage points (+62.7% for GOOG against +16.2% for VUG). The rolling one-year correlation stayed in a tight band between 0.51 and 0.73 over the past three years, which points to a structural rather than episodic relationship. One caveat on sizing: GOOG is 1.6 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.
GOOG vs VUG: side by side
| GOOG (Alphabet Inc. (Class C)) | VUG (Vanguard Growth ETF) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +62.7% | +16.2% |
| 5-year return | +134.2% | +78.4% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 31.1% | 19.4% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.20 | 1.28 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -29.4% | -22.8% |
| Market cap | $4,130.2B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 17.0 | – |
| Dividend yield | 0.25% | 0.40% |
| Expense ratio | – | 0.03% |
| Assets under management | – | $372.0B |
| Sector / category | Communication Services | ETF · US Style |
VUG, Vanguard's Large Growth fund, carries $372.0B under management, 146 holdings, a 0.03% expense ratio, a 0.40% trailing dividend yield.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | GOOG | VUG |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -38.7% | -33.2% |
| 2023 | +58.8% | +46.8% |
| 2024 | +35.6% | +32.7% |
| 2025 | +65.4% | +19.4% |
| 2026 | +7.8% | +9.6% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Fund exposure
Keep in mind that VUG holds GOOG at a 4.64% weight, which makes a slice of this correlation mechanical rather than coincidental.
Are GOOG and VUG good diversifiers for each other?
Only partially. A correlation of 0.62 means GOOG and VUG 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 GOOG and VUG?
Using weekly returns as of 2026-08-27: 0.62 over 3 years, with 0.63 over the last year and 0.69 over 5 years.
Is VUG a good diversifier for GOOG?
Only partially. A correlation of 0.62 means GOOG and VUG share most of their swings. Pairing them dampens volatility somewhat, but it will not protect against a common drawdown.
What does a correlation of 0.62 mean?
On the −1 to +1 scale, 0.62 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/goog-vs-vug.json
Markdown for the live badge, attribution link included:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/goog-vs-vug/)
The core API is free. Terms and every endpoint in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: GOOG correlations · VUG correlations
