PYPL vs QQQ: Correlation
PayPal (PYPL) and Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) show a moderate relationship: their 3-year correlation of weekly returns is 0.40.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are PYPL and QQQ?
Over the past 3 years, PYPL and QQQ moved with a correlation of 0.40, which is moderate. Lately the two have drifted apart, with the 1-year correlation at 0.13 versus 0.40 over 3 years. Over 5 years the correlation is 0.51, and the annualized covariance of weekly returns is 286.8 %².
By 3-year correlation, QQQ places #18 of the 28 assets tracked against PYPL. The last year tells two different stories: QQQ led by 37.3 percentage points, -11.0% for PYPL against +26.3% for QQQ. The relationship is regime-dependent: the rolling one-year correlation swung between 0.13 and 0.67 over the past three years, so this pair behaves very differently depending on the market environment. Risk is not evenly split, since PYPL carries 1.9 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.
PYPL vs QQQ: side by side
| PYPL (PayPal) | QQQ (Invesco QQQ Trust) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | -11.0% | +26.3% |
| 5-year return | -78.5% | +95.4% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 37.1% | 19.6% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.15 | 1.28 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -57.3% | -22.8% |
| Market cap | $52.6B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 11.7 | – |
| Dividend yield | 0.91% | 0.44% |
| Expense ratio | – | 0.18% |
| Assets under management | – | $452.8B |
| Sector / category | Financials | 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 | PYPL | QQQ |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -62.2% | -32.6% |
| 2023 | -13.8% | +54.9% |
| 2024 | +39.0% | +25.6% |
| 2025 | -31.4% | +20.8% |
| 2026 | +6.0% | +17.7% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Fund exposure
Keep in mind that QQQ holds PYPL at a 0.24% weight, which makes a slice of this correlation mechanical rather than coincidental.
Are PYPL and QQQ good diversifiers for each other?
A fair diversifier. At 0.40, enough of each asset's movement is its own that the pair has smoothed outcomes historically.
FAQ
What is the correlation between PYPL and QQQ?
As of 2026-08-27, the correlation of weekly returns between PYPL and QQQ is 0.40 over 3 years, 0.13 over 1 year and 0.51 over 5 years.
Is QQQ a good diversifier for PYPL?
A fair diversifier. At 0.40, enough of each asset's movement is its own that the pair has smoothed outcomes historically.
What does a correlation of 0.40 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/pypl-vs-qqq.json
Embed this badge (it refreshes with the data), with attribution:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/pypl-vs-qqq/)
No key needed, free to use. Full endpoint list in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: PYPL correlations · QQQ correlations
