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NRP vs SPY: Correlation

Natural Resource Partners LP Limited Partnership (NRP) and SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) show a weak relationship: their 3-year correlation of weekly returns is 0.21.

Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology

Correlation (3Y)
0.21
weak
Correlation (1Y)
-0.10
last 12 months
Correlation (5Y)
0.18
long-run
Ann. covariance
86.4
%² · weekly, annualized

How correlated are NRP and SPY?

Over the past 3 years, NRP and SPY moved with a correlation of 0.21, which is weak. Lately the two have drifted apart, with the 1-year correlation at -0.10 versus 0.21 over 3 years. Over 5 years the correlation is 0.18, and the annualized covariance of weekly returns is 86.4 %².

Out of 10 assets tracked against NRP, SPY lands near the bottom at #6. On 12-month performance SPY holds a 11.0-point edge, +9.6% against +20.6%. Risk is not evenly split, since NRP carries 2.0 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.

NRP vs SPY: side by side

NRP (Natural Resource Partners LP Limited Partnership)SPY (SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust)
1-year return+9.6%+20.6%
5-year return+624.7%+82.4%
Volatility (ann.)28.3%14.5%
Beta vs S&P 5000.411.00
Max drawdown (3Y)-22.9%-18.8%
Market cap
P/E (trailing)14.0
Dividend yield2.73%1.01%
Expense ratio0.09%
Assets under management$795.3B
Sector / categoryUS ListedETF · US Large Cap
Higher yield: NRP 2.73% vs 1.01%Smaller drawdown: SPY -18.8% vs -22.9%Higher 5y return: NRP +624.7% vs +82.4%

SPY is a Large Blend fund from State Street Investment Management: $795.3B under management, 504 holdings, a 0.09% expense ratio, a 1.01% trailing dividend yield.

-4%0%+23%2025-09-052026-08-27
Both assets over the last year, indexed to 100 at the starting week. NRP · SPY

Year-by-year returns

YearNRPSPY
2022+72.9%-18.2%
2023+87.0%+26.2%
2024+27.4%+24.9%
2025-1.9%+17.7%
2026+7.9%+13.7%

Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.

Are NRP and SPY good diversifiers for each other?

A fair diversifier. At 0.21, enough of each asset's movement is its own that the pair has smoothed outcomes historically.

FAQ

What is the correlation between NRP and SPY?

The NRP/SPY correlation stands at 0.21 on a 3-year window (1 year: -0.10, 5 years: 0.18), computed from weekly returns as of 2026-08-27.

Is SPY a good diversifier for NRP?

A fair diversifier. At 0.21, enough of each asset's movement is its own that the pair has smoothed outcomes historically.

What does a correlation of 0.21 mean?

On the −1 to +1 scale, 0.21 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.

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NRP vs SPY: 3-year weekly correlation 0.21NRP vs SPY0.21

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Hubs: NRP correlations · SPY correlations