POST vs XLP: Correlation
How closely do Post Holdings, Inc. (POST) and Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLP) trade together? Their weekly returns over three years give a correlation of 0.50, which is moderate.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are POST and XLP?
Over the past 3 years, POST and XLP moved with a correlation of 0.50, which is moderate. Little has changed lately, as the 1-year reading of 0.43 lands near the 3-year figure. Over 5 years the correlation is 0.51, and the annualized covariance of weekly returns is 127.5 %².
Few assets follow POST as closely as XLP, which ranks #3 of 19 tracked partners. The last year tells two different stories: XLP led by 36.4 percentage points, -28.1% for POST against +8.3% for XLP. Note the risk asymmetry: POST runs 2.1 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.
POST vs XLP: side by side
| POST (Post Holdings, Inc.) | XLP (Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR Fund) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | -28.1% | +8.3% |
| 5-year return | +11.2% | +34.7% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 23.0% | 11.1% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.11 | 0.23 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -36.9% | -9.7% |
| Market cap | $3.7B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 14.9 | – |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 2.58% |
| Expense ratio | – | 0.08% |
| Assets under management | – | $14.6B |
| Sector / category | US Listed | Sector ETF |
On the fund side, XLP sits in the Consumer Defensive category at State Street Investment Management, with $14.6B under management, 35 holdings, a 0.08% expense ratio, a 2.58% trailing dividend yield.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | POST | XLP |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +22.3% | -0.8% |
| 2023 | -2.4% | -0.8% |
| 2024 | +30.0% | +12.2% |
| 2025 | -13.5% | +1.5% |
| 2026 | -17.7% | +10.9% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are POST and XLP good diversifiers for each other?
To a limited degree. At 0.50 the two still catch most of the same waves, so the pair smooths returns a little without insulating either from a shared selloff.
FAQ
What is the correlation between POST and XLP?
As of 2026-08-27, the correlation of weekly returns between POST and XLP is 0.50 over 3 years, 0.43 over 1 year and 0.51 over 5 years.
Is XLP a good diversifier for POST?
To a limited degree. At 0.50 the two still catch most of the same waves, so the pair smooths returns a little without insulating either from a shared selloff.
What does a correlation of 0.50 mean?
Correlation ranges from −1 to +1. Values near +1 mean two assets move together, near 0 that they move independently, and negative values that they tend to move in opposite directions. It measures co-movement, not performance.
Use this data
$ curl https://www.pairbook.io/api/v1/pairs/post-vs-xlp.json
Markdown for the live badge, attribution link included:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/post-vs-xlp/)
The core API is free. Terms and every endpoint in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: POST correlations · XLP correlations
