MC vs QQQ: Correlation
Moelis & Company (MC) and Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) show a moderate relationship: their 3-year correlation of weekly returns is 0.45.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are MC and QQQ?
Over the past 3 years, MC and QQQ moved with a correlation of 0.45, which is moderate. The link has loosened recently: the 1-year correlation (0.28) runs below the 3-year figure (0.45). Over 5 years the correlation is 0.53, and the annualized covariance of weekly returns is 307.2 %².
Among the 14 assets we track against MC, QQQ sits near the bottom by co-movement, at rank #10. Correlation aside, the last 12 months split them widely, with QQQ ahead by 27.8 points (-1.5% versus +26.3%). One caveat on sizing: MC is 1.8 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.
MC vs QQQ: side by side
| MC (Moelis & Company) | QQQ (Invesco QQQ Trust) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | -1.5% | +26.3% |
| 5-year return | +42.5% | +95.4% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 35.1% | 19.6% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.41 | 1.28 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -39.3% | -22.8% |
| Market cap | $5.1B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 23.4 | – |
| Dividend yield | 3.87% | 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 | MC | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -35.2% | -32.6% |
| 2023 | +54.9% | +54.9% |
| 2024 | +37.1% | +25.6% |
| 2025 | -3.1% | +20.8% |
| 2026 | +2.9% | +17.7% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are MC and QQQ good diversifiers for each other?
Reasonably. At 0.45, MC and QQQ keep a meaningful degree of independence, and combining them has historically reduced portfolio volatility.
FAQ
What is the correlation between MC and QQQ?
The MC/QQQ correlation stands at 0.45 on a 3-year window (1 year: 0.28, 5 years: 0.53), computed from weekly returns as of 2026-08-27.
Is QQQ a good diversifier for MC?
Reasonably. At 0.45, MC and QQQ keep a meaningful degree of independence, and combining them has historically reduced portfolio volatility.
What does a correlation of 0.45 mean?
On the −1 to +1 scale, 0.45 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/mc-vs-qqq.json
Embed this badge (it refreshes with the data), with attribution:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/mc-vs-qqq/)
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Related comparisons
Hubs: MC correlations · QQQ correlations
