QQQ vs SFST: Correlation
Measured on weekly returns over the past three years, Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) and Southern First Bancshares, Inc. (SFST) carry a correlation of 0.18, a weak link.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are QQQ and SFST?
Across a 3-year window, the weekly returns of QQQ and SFST correlate at 0.18, weak. The link has loosened recently: the 1-year correlation (-0.07) runs below the 3-year figure (0.18). Stretching to 5 years gives 0.17, with an annualized covariance of 120.6 %².
Within QQQ's tracked universe of 4755 assets, SFST comes in at #3090 by 3-year correlation. Over the last 12 months SFST came out ahead by 10.8 percentage points (+26.3% against +37.1%). Note the risk asymmetry: SFST runs 1.7 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.
QQQ vs SFST: side by side
| QQQ (Invesco QQQ Trust) | SFST (Southern First Bancshares, Inc.) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +26.3% | +37.1% |
| 5-year return | +95.4% | +23.1% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 19.6% | 33.3% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.28 | 0.77 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -22.8% | -33.6% |
| Market cap | – | $0.6B |
| P/E (trailing) | – | 13.3 |
| Dividend yield | 0.44% | 0.00% |
| Expense ratio | 0.18% | – |
| Assets under management | $452.8B | – |
| Sector / category | ETF · US Growth & Tech | US Listed |
QQQ, Invesco's Large Growth fund, carries $452.8B under management, 104 holdings, a 0.18% expense ratio, a 0.44% trailing dividend yield.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | QQQ | SFST |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -32.6% | -26.8% |
| 2023 | +54.9% | -18.9% |
| 2024 | +25.6% | +7.1% |
| 2025 | +20.8% | +29.6% |
| 2026 | +17.7% | +20.7% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are QQQ and SFST good diversifiers for each other?
Yes: at 0.18, the two have gone their own ways historically, which is what genuine diversification looks like.
FAQ
What is the correlation between QQQ and SFST?
The QQQ/SFST correlation stands at 0.18 on a 3-year window (1 year: -0.07, 5 years: 0.17), computed from weekly returns as of 2026-08-27.
Is SFST a good diversifier for QQQ?
Yes: at 0.18, the two have gone their own ways historically, which is what genuine diversification looks like.
What does a correlation of 0.18 mean?
On the −1 to +1 scale, 0.18 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/qqq-vs-sfst.json
Embed this badge (it refreshes with the data), with attribution:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/qqq-vs-sfst/)
No key needed, free to use. Full endpoint list in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: QQQ correlations · SFST correlations
