MO vs VUG: Correlation
How closely do Altria (MO) and Vanguard Growth ETF (VUG) trade together? Their weekly returns over three years give a correlation of -0.18, which is negative.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are MO and VUG?
Over the past 3 years, MO and VUG moved with a correlation of -0.18, which is negative, meaning they tend to move in opposite directions. The link has loosened recently: the 1-year correlation (-0.41) runs below the 3-year figure (-0.18). Over 5 years the correlation is -0.01, and the annualized covariance of weekly returns is -77.2 %².
Among the 49 assets we track against MO, VUG ranks #28 by 3-year correlation. Over the last 12 months VUG came out ahead by 7.4 percentage points (+8.8% against +16.2%). Do not treat this figure as fixed: across three years the rolling one-year correlation ranged all the way from -0.42 to 0.30.
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.
MO vs VUG: side by side
| MO (Altria) | VUG (Vanguard Growth ETF) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +8.8% | +16.2% |
| 5-year return | +100.4% | +78.4% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 21.8% | 19.4% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | -0.07 | 1.28 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -16.4% | -22.8% |
| Market cap | $113.0B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 14.6 | – |
| Dividend yield | 6.13% | 0.40% |
| Expense ratio | – | 0.03% |
| Assets under management | – | $372.0B |
| Sector / category | Consumer Staples | ETF · US Style |
VUG, Vanguard's Large Growth fund, carries $372.0B under management, 146 holdings, a 0.03% expense ratio, a 0.40% trailing dividend yield.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | MO | VUG |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +4.4% | -33.2% |
| 2023 | -3.7% | +46.8% |
| 2024 | +40.8% | +32.7% |
| 2025 | +18.2% | +19.4% |
| 2026 | +21.1% | +9.6% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are MO and VUG good diversifiers for each other?
Yes. With a correlation of -0.18, MO and VUG have moved largely independently, which makes them a genuinely diversifying pair by historical standards.
FAQ
What is the correlation between MO and VUG?
The MO/VUG correlation stands at -0.18 on a 3-year window (1 year: -0.41, 5 years: -0.01), computed from weekly returns as of 2026-08-27.
Is VUG a good diversifier for MO?
Yes. With a correlation of -0.18, MO and VUG have moved largely independently, which makes them a genuinely diversifying pair by historical standards.
What does a correlation of -0.18 mean?
On the −1 to +1 scale, -0.18 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/mo-vs-vug.json
Markdown for the live badge, attribution link included:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/mo-vs-vug/)
The core API is free. Terms and every endpoint in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: MO correlations · VUG correlations
