HUM vs XLV: Correlation
How closely do Humana (HUM) and Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) trade together? Their weekly returns over three years give a correlation of 0.31, which is moderate.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are HUM and XLV?
On 3 years of weekly data the HUM/XLV correlation comes out at 0.31, moderate. Recent behaviour matches the longer record: 0.28 over 1 year against 0.31 over 3. The 5-year figure is 0.37, and annualized covariance runs at 199.9 %².
Within HUM's tracked universe of 30 assets, XLV comes in at #17 by 3-year correlation. The trailing year gives HUM the advantage: +34.0% versus +27.5%, a 6.5-point spread. Across three years, the rolling one-year figure varied moderately, from 0.10 to 0.55. Risk is not evenly split, since HUM carries 2.9 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.
HUM vs XLV: side by side
| HUM (Humana) | XLV (Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +34.0% | +27.5% |
| 5-year return | +1.8% | +37.4% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 43.3% | 14.7% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.52 | 0.42 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -67.9% | -17.1% |
| Market cap | $47.1B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 36.9 | – |
| Dividend yield | 0.91% | 1.56% |
| Expense ratio | – | 0.08% |
| Assets under management | – | $41.7B |
| Sector / category | Health Care | Sector ETF |
On the fund side, XLV sits in the Health category at State Street Investment Management, with $41.7B under management, 61 holdings, a 0.08% expense ratio, a 1.56% trailing dividend yield.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | HUM | XLV |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +11.2% | -2.1% |
| 2023 | -9.9% | +2.1% |
| 2024 | -44.0% | +2.5% |
| 2025 | +2.4% | +14.5% |
| 2026 | +54.4% | +11.8% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Fund exposure
Keep in mind that XLV holds HUM at a 0.75% weight, which makes a slice of this correlation mechanical rather than coincidental.
Are HUM and XLV good diversifiers for each other?
Yes, to a useful degree: a correlation of 0.31 leaves real independence between the two, which historically damped combined volatility.
FAQ
What is the correlation between HUM and XLV?
As of 2026-08-27, the correlation of weekly returns between HUM and XLV is 0.31 over 3 years, 0.28 over 1 year and 0.37 over 5 years.
Is XLV a good diversifier for HUM?
Yes, to a useful degree: a correlation of 0.31 leaves real independence between the two, which historically damped combined volatility.
What does a correlation of 0.31 mean?
Correlation ranges from −1 to +1. Values near +1 mean two assets move together, near 0 that they move independently, and negative values that they tend to move in opposite directions. It measures co-movement, not performance.
Use this data
$ curl https://www.pairbook.io/api/v1/pairs/hum-vs-xlv.json
Drop this badge in a README or notebook; it updates with the data:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/hum-vs-xlv/)
Free with attribution; caching and terms are described in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: HUM correlations · XLV correlations
