MAIN vs QQQ: Correlation
Measured on weekly returns over the past three years, Main Street Capital Corporation (MAIN) and Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) carry a correlation of 0.42, a moderate link.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are MAIN and QQQ?
Over the past 3 years, MAIN and QQQ moved with a correlation of 0.42, which is moderate. The link has loosened recently: the 1-year correlation (0.31) runs below the 3-year figure (0.42). Over 5 years the correlation is 0.49, and the annualized covariance of weekly returns is 162.3 %².
QQQ is close to the least connected end of MAIN's tracked universe, ranking #8 of 12. Their recent paths diverged sharply: over the last 12 months QQQ outperformed by 28.8 percentage points (-2.5% for MAIN against +26.3% for QQQ).
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.
MAIN vs QQQ: side by side
| MAIN (Main Street Capital Corporation) | QQQ (Invesco QQQ Trust) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | -2.5% | +26.3% |
| 5-year return | +106.5% | +95.4% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 19.6% | 19.6% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.69 | 1.28 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -22.4% | -22.8% |
| Market cap | $5.5B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 11.7 | – |
| Dividend yield | 5.29% | 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 | MAIN | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -11.4% | -32.6% |
| 2023 | +28.2% | +54.9% |
| 2024 | +47.3% | +25.6% |
| 2025 | +10.7% | +20.8% |
| 2026 | +1.9% | +17.7% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are MAIN and QQQ good diversifiers for each other?
Reasonably. At 0.42, MAIN and QQQ keep a meaningful degree of independence, and combining them has historically reduced portfolio volatility.
FAQ
What is the correlation between MAIN and QQQ?
The MAIN/QQQ correlation stands at 0.42 on a 3-year window (1 year: 0.31, 5 years: 0.49), computed from weekly returns as of 2026-08-27.
Is QQQ a good diversifier for MAIN?
Reasonably. At 0.42, MAIN and QQQ keep a meaningful degree of independence, and combining them has historically reduced portfolio volatility.
What does a correlation of 0.42 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/main-vs-qqq.json
Embed this badge (it refreshes with the data), with attribution:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/main-vs-qqq/)
No key needed, free to use. Full endpoint list in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: MAIN correlations · QQQ correlations
