PLUG vs QQQ: Correlation
Plug Power, Inc. (PLUG) 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 PLUG and QQQ?
Over the past 3 years, PLUG and QQQ moved with a correlation of 0.20, which is weak. Recent behaviour matches the longer record: 0.23 over 1 year against 0.20 over 3. Over 5 years the correlation is 0.34, and the annualized covariance of weekly returns is 389.0 %².
Out of 13 assets tracked against PLUG, QQQ lands near the bottom at #10. The trailing year gives PLUG the advantage: +40.1% versus +26.3%, a 13.8-point spread. Risk is not evenly split, since PLUG carries 5.0 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.
PLUG vs QQQ: side by side
| PLUG (Plug Power, Inc.) | QQQ (Invesco QQQ Trust) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +40.1% | +26.3% |
| 5-year return | -91.3% | +95.4% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 98.9% | 19.6% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.49 | 1.28 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -92.1% | -22.8% |
| Market cap | $3.2B | – |
| 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 | PLUG | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -56.2% | -32.6% |
| 2023 | -63.6% | +54.9% |
| 2024 | -52.7% | +25.6% |
| 2025 | -7.5% | +20.8% |
| 2026 | +15.2% | +17.7% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are PLUG and QQQ good diversifiers for each other?
Reasonably. At 0.20, PLUG and QQQ keep a meaningful degree of independence, and combining them has historically reduced portfolio volatility.
FAQ
What is the correlation between PLUG and QQQ?
The PLUG/QQQ correlation stands at 0.20 on a 3-year window (1 year: 0.23, 5 years: 0.34), computed from weekly returns as of 2026-08-27.
Is QQQ a good diversifier for PLUG?
Reasonably. At 0.20, PLUG and QQQ keep a meaningful degree of independence, and combining them has historically reduced portfolio volatility.
What does a correlation of 0.20 mean?
A reading of 0.20 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/plug-vs-qqq.json
Embed this badge (it refreshes with the data), with attribution:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/plug-vs-qqq/)
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Related comparisons
Hubs: PLUG correlations · QQQ correlations
