NE vs XLE: Correlation
Measured on weekly returns over the past three years, Noble Corporation plc A (NE) and Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) carry a correlation of 0.70, a strong link.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are NE and XLE?
On 3 years of weekly data the NE/XLE correlation comes out at 0.70, strong. Little has changed lately, as the 1-year reading of 0.67 lands near the 3-year figure. The 5-year figure is 0.64, and annualized covariance runs at 655.3 %².
Within NE's tracked universe of 16 assets, XLE comes in at #5 by 3-year correlation. Their recent paths diverged sharply: over the last 12 months NE outperformed by 28.1 percentage points (+72.1% for NE against +44.0% for XLE). Note the risk asymmetry: NE runs 1.8 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.
NE vs XLE: side by side
| NE (Noble Corporation plc A) | XLE (Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +72.1% | +44.0% |
| 5-year return | +134.0% | +206.7% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 40.7% | 23.1% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.96 | 0.27 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -63.2% | -20.1% |
| Market cap | $7.5B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 48.2 | – |
| Dividend yield | 4.43% | 2.55% |
| Expense ratio | – | 0.08% |
| Assets under management | – | $39.2B |
| Sector / category | US Listed | Sector ETF |
XLE is an Equity Energy fund from State Street Investment Management: $39.2B under management, 22 holdings, a 0.08% expense ratio, a 2.55% trailing dividend yield.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | NE | XLE |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +52.0% | +64.3% |
| 2023 | +29.5% | -0.6% |
| 2024 | -31.6% | +5.6% |
| 2025 | -3.2% | +7.9% |
| 2026 | +69.2% | +41.2% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are NE and XLE good diversifiers for each other?
To a limited degree. At 0.70 the two still catch most of the same waves, so the pair smooths returns a little without insulating either from a shared selloff.
FAQ
What is the correlation between NE and XLE?
As of 2026-08-27, the correlation of weekly returns between NE and XLE is 0.70 over 3 years, 0.67 over 1 year and 0.64 over 5 years.
Is XLE a good diversifier for NE?
To a limited degree. At 0.70 the two still catch most of the same waves, so the pair smooths returns a little without insulating either from a shared selloff.
What does a correlation of 0.70 mean?
A reading of 0.70 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/ne-vs-xle.json
Markdown for the live badge, attribution link included:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/ne-vs-xle/)
Free with attribution; caching and terms are described in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: NE correlations · XLE correlations
