MFA vs VXX: Correlation
MFA Financial, Inc. (MFA) and iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (VXX) show a negative relationship: their 3-year correlation of weekly returns is -0.44.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are MFA and VXX?
Across a 3-year window, the weekly returns of MFA and VXX correlate at -0.44, negative, meaning they tend to move in opposite directions. Recent behaviour matches the longer record: -0.34 over 1 year against -0.44 over 3. Stretching to 5 years gives -0.41, with an annualized covariance of -691.4 %².
Among the 23 assets we track against MFA, VXX sits near the bottom by co-movement, at rank #22. Their recent paths diverged sharply: over the last 12 months MFA outperformed by 52.5 percentage points (+2.8% for MFA against -49.7% for VXX). Note the risk asymmetry: VXX runs 2.4 times the annualized volatility of the other leg, so equal-weighting the two is not an equal-risk position.
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.
MFA vs VXX: side by side
| MFA (MFA Financial, Inc.) | VXX (iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +2.8% | -49.7% |
| 5-year return | -8.1% | -95.6% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 25.6% | 60.9% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.64 | -3.31 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -31.6% | -83.3% |
| Market cap | $0.9B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 8.8 | – |
| Dividend yield | 16.36% | 0.00% |
| Sector / category | US Listed | US Listed |
Year-by-year returns
| Year | MFA | VXX |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -37.2% | -23.8% |
| 2023 | +30.7% | -72.5% |
| 2024 | +2.6% | -26.2% |
| 2025 | +6.1% | -42.2% |
| 2026 | +2.6% | -31.6% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are MFA and VXX good diversifiers for each other?
Yes. With a correlation of -0.44, MFA and VXX have moved largely independently, which makes them a genuinely diversifying pair by historical standards.
FAQ
What is the correlation between MFA and VXX?
As of 2026-08-27, the correlation of weekly returns between MFA and VXX is -0.44 over 3 years, -0.34 over 1 year and -0.41 over 5 years.
Is VXX a good diversifier for MFA?
Yes. With a correlation of -0.44, MFA and VXX have moved largely independently, which makes them a genuinely diversifying pair by historical standards.
What does a correlation of -0.44 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/mfa-vs-vxx.json
Drop this badge in a README or notebook; it updates with the data:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/mfa-vs-vxx/)
Free with attribution; caching and terms are described in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: MFA correlations · VXX correlations
