LINC vs QQQ: Correlation
Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (LINC) and Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) show a weak relationship: their 3-year correlation of weekly returns is 0.24.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are LINC and QQQ?
Across a 3-year window, the weekly returns of LINC and QQQ correlate at 0.24, weak. The link has loosened recently: the 1-year correlation (0.13) runs below the 3-year figure (0.24). Stretching to 5 years gives 0.30, with an annualized covariance of 231.8 %².
Out of 10 assets tracked against LINC, QQQ lands near the bottom at #7. Neither side won the trailing year by much: +29.2% against +26.3%. One caveat on sizing: LINC is 2.5 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.
LINC vs QQQ: side by side
| LINC (Lincoln Educational Services Corporation) | QQQ (Invesco QQQ Trust) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +29.2% | +26.3% |
| 5-year return | +298.9% | +95.4% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 49.6% | 19.6% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.89 | 1.28 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -55.4% | -22.8% |
| Market cap | $0.8B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 35.2 | – |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.44% |
| Expense ratio | – | 0.18% |
| Assets under management | – | $452.8B |
| Sector / category | US Listed | 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 | LINC | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -22.5% | -32.6% |
| 2023 | +73.4% | +54.9% |
| 2024 | +57.6% | +25.6% |
| 2025 | +52.7% | +20.8% |
| 2026 | +5.1% | +17.7% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are LINC and QQQ good diversifiers for each other?
Reasonably. At 0.24, LINC and QQQ keep a meaningful degree of independence, and combining them has historically reduced portfolio volatility.
FAQ
What is the correlation between LINC and QQQ?
Using weekly returns as of 2026-08-27: 0.24 over 3 years, with 0.13 over the last year and 0.30 over 5 years.
Is QQQ a good diversifier for LINC?
Reasonably. At 0.24, LINC and QQQ keep a meaningful degree of independence, and combining them has historically reduced portfolio volatility.
What does a correlation of 0.24 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/linc-vs-qqq.json
Embed this badge (it refreshes with the data), with attribution:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/linc-vs-qqq/)
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Related comparisons
Hubs: LINC correlations · QQQ correlations
