NKX vs VXZ: Correlation
How closely do Nuveen California AMT-Free Quality Municipal Income Fund (NKX) and iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Mid-Term Futures ETN (VXZ) trade together? Their weekly returns over three years give a correlation of -0.30, which is negative.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are NKX and VXZ?
On 3 years of weekly data the NKX/VXZ correlation comes out at -0.30, negative, meaning they tend to move in opposite directions. Little has changed lately, as the 1-year reading of -0.38 lands near the 3-year figure. The 5-year figure is -0.27, and annualized covariance runs at -107.1 %².
Out of 10 assets tracked against NKX, VXZ lands near the bottom at #10. Correlation aside, the last 12 months split them widely, with NKX ahead by 26.0 points (+9.9% versus -16.1%). One caveat on sizing: VXZ is 1.8 times as volatile as the other leg, so an equal-dollar split is far from equal-risk.
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.
NKX vs VXZ: side by side
| NKX (Nuveen California AMT-Free Quality Municipal Income Fund) | VXZ (iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Mid-Term Futures ETN) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +9.9% | -16.1% |
| 5-year return | -2.1% | -53.1% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 14.1% | 25.6% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.28 | -1.31 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -13.9% | -36.4% |
| Market cap | $0.6B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 28.1 | – |
| Dividend yield | 7.51% | – |
| Sector / category | US Listed | US Listed |
Year-by-year returns
| Year | NKX | VXZ |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -18.4% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | -1.9% | -44.0% |
| 2024 | +16.5% | -12.7% |
| 2025 | +6.0% | +5.7% |
| 2026 | +1.8% | -10.5% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are NKX and VXZ good diversifiers for each other?
Yes. With a correlation of -0.30, NKX and VXZ have moved largely independently, which makes them a genuinely diversifying pair by historical standards.
FAQ
What is the correlation between NKX and VXZ?
As of 2026-08-27, the correlation of weekly returns between NKX and VXZ is -0.30 over 3 years, -0.38 over 1 year and -0.27 over 5 years.
Is VXZ a good diversifier for NKX?
Yes. With a correlation of -0.30, NKX and VXZ have moved largely independently, which makes them a genuinely diversifying pair by historical standards.
What does a correlation of -0.30 mean?
A reading of -0.30 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/nkx-vs-vxz.json
Drop this badge in a README or notebook; it updates with the data:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/nkx-vs-vxz/)
The core API is free. Terms and every endpoint in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: NKX correlations · VXZ correlations
