IRM vs QQQ: Correlation
How closely do Iron Mountain (IRM) and Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) trade together? Their weekly returns over three years give a correlation of 0.38, which is moderate.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are IRM and QQQ?
On 3 years of weekly data the IRM/QQQ correlation comes out at 0.38, moderate. The link has loosened recently: the 1-year correlation (0.26) runs below the 3-year figure (0.38). The 5-year figure is 0.47, and annualized covariance runs at 232.0 %².
Within IRM's tracked universe of 31 assets, QQQ comes in at #20 by 3-year correlation. The trailing year gives IRM the advantage: +38.1% versus +26.3%, a 11.8-point spread. On a rolling one-year basis the correlation drifted between 0.23 and 0.63, a moderate band. One caveat on sizing: IRM 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.
IRM vs QQQ: side by side
| IRM (Iron Mountain) | QQQ (Invesco QQQ Trust) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +38.1% | +26.3% |
| 5-year return | +219.3% | +95.4% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 30.8% | 19.6% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.96 | 1.28 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -39.0% | -22.8% |
| Market cap | $36.5B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 86.4 | – |
| Dividend yield | 2.78% | 0.44% |
| Expense ratio | – | 0.18% |
| Assets under management | – | $452.8B |
| Sector / category | Real Estate | ETF · US Growth & Tech |
QQQ is a Large Growth fund from Invesco: $452.8B under management, 104 holdings, a 0.18% expense ratio, a 0.44% trailing dividend yield.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | IRM | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -0.1% | -32.6% |
| 2023 | +46.5% | +54.9% |
| 2024 | +54.5% | +25.6% |
| 2025 | -18.2% | +20.8% |
| 2026 | +50.1% | +17.7% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are IRM and QQQ good diversifiers for each other?
A fair diversifier. At 0.38, enough of each asset's movement is its own that the pair has smoothed outcomes historically.
FAQ
What is the correlation between IRM and QQQ?
Using weekly returns as of 2026-08-27: 0.38 over 3 years, with 0.26 over the last year and 0.47 over 5 years.
Is QQQ a good diversifier for IRM?
A fair diversifier. At 0.38, enough of each asset's movement is its own that the pair has smoothed outcomes historically.
What does a correlation of 0.38 mean?
On the −1 to +1 scale, 0.38 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/irm-vs-qqq.json
Embed this badge (it refreshes with the data), with attribution:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/irm-vs-qqq/)
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Related comparisons
Hubs: IRM correlations · QQQ correlations
