MS vs VTI: Correlation
Morgan Stanley (MS) and Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) show a strong relationship: their 3-year correlation of weekly returns is 0.75.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are MS and VTI?
Across a 3-year window, the weekly returns of MS and VTI correlate at 0.75, strong. Little has changed lately, as the 1-year reading of 0.72 lands near the 3-year figure. Stretching to 5 years gives 0.70, with an annualized covariance of 310.5 %².
By 3-year correlation, VTI places #12 of the 46 assets tracked against MS. The last year tells two different stories: MS led by 26.4 percentage points, +47.1% for MS against +20.7% for VTI. Across three years, the rolling one-year figure varied moderately, from 0.53 to 0.89. Note the risk asymmetry: MS runs 1.9 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.
MS vs VTI: side by side
| MS (Morgan Stanley) | VTI (Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +47.1% | +20.7% |
| 5-year return | +142.0% | +74.8% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 28.3% | 14.6% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.43 | 1.01 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -29.2% | -19.3% |
| Market cap | $337.5B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 17.4 | – |
| Dividend yield | 1.94% | 1.06% |
| Expense ratio | – | 0.03% |
| Assets under management | – | $2,290.0B |
| Sector / category | Financials | ETF · US Large Cap |
VTI, Vanguard's Large Blend fund, carries $2,290.0B under management, 3140 holdings, a 0.03% expense ratio, a 1.06% trailing dividend yield.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | MS | VTI |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -10.3% | -19.5% |
| 2023 | +13.9% | +26.0% |
| 2024 | +39.7% | +23.8% |
| 2025 | +45.2% | +17.1% |
| 2026 | +23.0% | +14.2% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Fund exposure
A structural note: 0.35% of VTI is MS itself, so the fund partly moves with the stock by construction.
Are MS and VTI good diversifiers for each other?
Somewhat, no more. With 0.75 correlation, most large moves hit both names, and the diversification benefit stays modest.
FAQ
What is the correlation between MS and VTI?
Using weekly returns as of 2026-08-27: 0.75 over 3 years, with 0.72 over the last year and 0.70 over 5 years.
Is VTI a good diversifier for MS?
Somewhat, no more. With 0.75 correlation, most large moves hit both names, and the diversification benefit stays modest.
What does a correlation of 0.75 mean?
A reading of 0.75 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/ms-vs-vti.json
Markdown for the live badge, attribution link included:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/ms-vs-vti/)
Free with attribution; caching and terms are described in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: MS correlations · VTI correlations
