PAR vs SPY: Correlation
PAR Technology Corporation (PAR) and SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) show a moderate relationship: their 3-year correlation of weekly returns is 0.44.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are PAR and SPY?
Over the past 3 years, PAR and SPY moved with a correlation of 0.44, which is moderate. Lately the two have drifted apart, with the 1-year correlation at 0.30 versus 0.44 over 3 years. Over 5 years the correlation is 0.50, and the annualized covariance of weekly returns is 359.3 %².
Within PAR's tracked universe of 21 assets, SPY comes in at #14 by 3-year correlation. The last year tells two different stories: SPY led by 83.8 percentage points, -63.2% for PAR against +20.6% for SPY. Note the risk asymmetry: PAR runs 3.9 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.
PAR vs SPY: side by side
| PAR (PAR Technology Corporation) | SPY (SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | -63.2% | +20.6% |
| 5-year return | -71.7% | +82.4% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 56.2% | 14.5% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.72 | 1.00 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -85.4% | -18.8% |
| Market cap | $0.8B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | – | – |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 1.01% |
| Expense ratio | – | 0.09% |
| Assets under management | – | $795.3B |
| Sector / category | US Listed | ETF · US Large Cap |
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.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | PAR | SPY |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -50.6% | -18.2% |
| 2023 | +67.0% | +26.2% |
| 2024 | +66.9% | +24.9% |
| 2025 | -50.1% | +17.7% |
| 2026 | -47.0% | +13.7% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are PAR and SPY good diversifiers for each other?
Yes, to a useful degree: a correlation of 0.44 leaves real independence between the two, which historically damped combined volatility.
FAQ
What is the correlation between PAR and SPY?
Using weekly returns as of 2026-08-27: 0.44 over 3 years, with 0.30 over the last year and 0.50 over 5 years.
Is SPY a good diversifier for PAR?
Yes, to a useful degree: a correlation of 0.44 leaves real independence between the two, which historically damped combined volatility.
What does a correlation of 0.44 mean?
On the −1 to +1 scale, 0.44 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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Related comparisons
Hubs: PAR correlations · SPY correlations
