PLSE vs QQQ: Correlation
Pulse Biosciences, Inc (PLSE) and Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) show a weak relationship: their 3-year correlation of weekly returns is 0.20.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are PLSE and QQQ?
On 3 years of weekly data the PLSE/QQQ correlation comes out at 0.20, weak. The link has loosened recently: the 1-year correlation (-0.01) runs below the 3-year figure (0.20). The 5-year figure is 0.19, and annualized covariance runs at 338.1 %².
Among the 11 assets we track against PLSE, QQQ sits near the bottom by co-movement, at rank #8. Their recent paths diverged sharply: over the last 12 months PLSE outperformed by 180.1 percentage points (+206.4% for PLSE against +26.3% for QQQ). One caveat on sizing: PLSE is 4.4 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.
PLSE vs QQQ: side by side
| PLSE (Pulse Biosciences, Inc) | QQQ (Invesco QQQ Trust) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +206.4% | +26.3% |
| 5-year return | +82.4% | +95.4% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 86.6% | 19.6% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.55 | 1.28 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -48.5% | -22.8% |
| Market cap | $3.5B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | – | – |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.44% |
| Expense ratio | – | 0.18% |
| Assets under management | – | $452.8B |
| Sector / category | US Listed | ETF · US Growth & Tech |
QQQ is a Large Growth fund from Invesco: $452.8B under management, 104 holdings, a 0.18% expense ratio, a 0.44% trailing dividend yield.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | PLSE | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -81.3% | -32.6% |
| 2023 | +341.9% | +54.9% |
| 2024 | +42.2% | +25.6% |
| 2025 | -21.1% | +20.8% |
| 2026 | +253.7% | +17.7% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are PLSE and QQQ good diversifiers for each other?
Yes, to a useful degree: a correlation of 0.20 leaves real independence between the two, which historically damped combined volatility.
FAQ
What is the correlation between PLSE and QQQ?
As of 2026-08-27, the correlation of weekly returns between PLSE and QQQ is 0.20 over 3 years, -0.01 over 1 year and 0.19 over 5 years.
Is QQQ a good diversifier for PLSE?
Yes, to a useful degree: a correlation of 0.20 leaves real independence between the two, which historically damped combined volatility.
What does a correlation of 0.20 mean?
On the −1 to +1 scale, 0.20 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.
Use this data
$ curl https://www.pairbook.io/api/v1/pairs/plse-vs-qqq.json
Embed this badge (it refreshes with the data), with attribution:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/plse-vs-qqq/)
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Related comparisons
Hubs: PLSE correlations · QQQ correlations
