MSM vs VXX: Correlation
How closely do MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc. (MSM) and iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (VXX) trade together? Their weekly returns over three years give a correlation of -0.36, which is negative.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are MSM and VXX?
Over the past 3 years, MSM and VXX moved with a correlation of -0.36, which is negative, meaning they tend to move in opposite directions. Lately the two have moved closer together, with the 1-year correlation at -0.22 versus -0.36 over 3 years. Over 5 years the correlation is -0.40, and the annualized covariance of weekly returns is -556.3 %².
Among the 17 assets we track against MSM, VXX sits near the bottom by co-movement, at rank #17. The last year tells two different stories: MSM led by 87.8 percentage points, +38.1% for MSM against -49.7% for VXX. Risk is not evenly split, since VXX carries 2.4 times the volatility of the other side.
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.
MSM vs VXX: side by side
| MSM (MSC Industrial Direct Company, Inc.) | VXX (iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +38.1% | -49.7% |
| 5-year return | +73.8% | -95.6% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 25.3% | 60.9% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.78 | -3.31 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -29.3% | -83.3% |
| Market cap | – | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 29.6 | – |
| Dividend yield | 2.84% | 0.00% |
| Sector / category | US Listed | US Listed |
Year-by-year returns
| Year | MSM | VXX |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +0.9% | -23.8% |
| 2023 | +28.5% | -72.5% |
| 2024 | -23.4% | -26.2% |
| 2025 | +17.4% | -42.2% |
| 2026 | +49.1% | -31.6% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are MSM and VXX good diversifiers for each other?
Yes: at -0.36, the two have gone their own ways historically, which is what genuine diversification looks like.
FAQ
What is the correlation between MSM and VXX?
The MSM/VXX correlation stands at -0.36 on a 3-year window (1 year: -0.22, 5 years: -0.40), computed from weekly returns as of 2026-08-27.
Is VXX a good diversifier for MSM?
Yes: at -0.36, the two have gone their own ways historically, which is what genuine diversification looks like.
What does a correlation of -0.36 mean?
A reading of -0.36 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/msm-vs-vxx.json
Drop this badge in a README or notebook; it updates with the data:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/msm-vs-vxx/)
Free with attribution; caching and terms are described in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: MSM correlations · VXX correlations
