HQL vs VRTX: Correlation
How closely do abrdn Life Sciences Investors Shares of Beneficial Interest (HQL) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) trade together? Their weekly returns over three years give a correlation of 0.52, which is moderate.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are HQL and VRTX?
Over the past 3 years, HQL and VRTX moved with a correlation of 0.52, which is moderate. Little has changed lately, as the 1-year reading of 0.59 lands near the 3-year figure. Over 5 years the correlation is 0.49, and the annualized covariance of weekly returns is 370.4 %².
By 3-year correlation, VRTX places #24 of the 72 assets tracked against HQL. Their recent paths diverged sharply: over the last 12 months HQL outperformed by 35.2 percentage points (+75.9% for HQL against +40.7% for VRTX).
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.
HQL vs VRTX: side by side
| HQL (abrdn Life Sciences Investors Shares of Beneficial Interest) | VRTX (Vertex Pharmaceuticals) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +75.9% | +40.7% |
| 5-year return | +74.1% | +174.5% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 23.5% | 30.3% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.88 | 0.55 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -25.1% | -29.1% |
| Market cap | – | $138.8B |
| P/E (trailing) | 3.2 | 31.9 |
| Dividend yield | 8.87% | 0.00% |
| Sector / category | US Listed | Health Care |
Year-by-year returns
| Year | HQL | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -19.2% | +31.5% |
| 2023 | +4.2% | +40.9% |
| 2024 | +11.0% | -1.0% |
| 2025 | +45.5% | +12.6% |
| 2026 | +40.9% | +20.8% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are HQL and VRTX good diversifiers for each other?
To a limited degree. At 0.52 the two still catch most of the same waves, so the pair smooths returns a little without insulating either from a shared selloff.
FAQ
What is the correlation between HQL and VRTX?
The HQL/VRTX correlation stands at 0.52 on a 3-year window (1 year: 0.59, 5 years: 0.49), computed from weekly returns as of 2026-08-27.
Is VRTX a good diversifier for HQL?
To a limited degree. At 0.52 the two still catch most of the same waves, so the pair smooths returns a little without insulating either from a shared selloff.
What does a correlation of 0.52 mean?
A reading of 0.52 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/hql-vs-vrtx.json
Markdown for the live badge, attribution link included:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/hql-vs-vrtx/)
The core API is free. Terms and every endpoint in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: HQL correlations · VRTX correlations
