MCD vs QQQ: Correlation
McDonald's (MCD) and Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) show a weak relationship: their 3-year correlation of weekly returns is 0.15.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are MCD and QQQ?
On 3 years of weekly data the MCD/QQQ correlation comes out at 0.15, weak. The relationship has been stable: the 1-year correlation (0.05) sits close to the 3-year figure. The 5-year figure is 0.33, and annualized covariance runs at 52.1 %².
By 3-year correlation, QQQ places #23 of the 34 assets tracked against MCD. Correlation aside, the last 12 months split them widely, with QQQ ahead by 40.8 points (-14.5% versus +26.3%). The rolling one-year correlation moved between -0.04 and 0.39 over the past three years, a moderate range.
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.
MCD vs QQQ: side by side
| MCD (McDonald's) | QQQ (Invesco QQQ Trust) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | -14.5% | +26.3% |
| 5-year return | +23.3% | +95.4% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 17.8% | 19.6% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.30 | 1.28 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -22.8% | -22.8% |
| Market cap | $184.0B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 21.7 | – |
| Dividend yield | 2.75% | 0.44% |
| Expense ratio | – | 0.18% |
| Assets under management | – | $452.8B |
| Sector / category | Consumer Discretionary | 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 | MCD | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +0.5% | -32.6% |
| 2023 | +15.1% | +54.9% |
| 2024 | +0.1% | +25.6% |
| 2025 | +7.9% | +20.8% |
| 2026 | -13.9% | +17.7% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are MCD and QQQ good diversifiers for each other?
Yes: at 0.15, the two have gone their own ways historically, which is what genuine diversification looks like.
FAQ
What is the correlation between MCD and QQQ?
As of 2026-08-27, the correlation of weekly returns between MCD and QQQ is 0.15 over 3 years, 0.05 over 1 year and 0.33 over 5 years.
Is QQQ a good diversifier for MCD?
Yes: at 0.15, the two have gone their own ways historically, which is what genuine diversification looks like.
What does a correlation of 0.15 mean?
A reading of 0.15 sits on a scale from −1 (opposite moves) through 0 (unrelated) to +1 (identical moves). Correlation captures direction, not magnitude or performance.
Use this data
$ curl https://www.pairbook.io/api/v1/pairs/mcd-vs-qqq.json
Embed this badge (it refreshes with the data), with attribution:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/mcd-vs-qqq/)
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Related comparisons
Hubs: MCD correlations · QQQ correlations
