QQQ vs VCEL: Correlation
Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) and Vericel Corporation (VCEL) show a weak relationship: their 3-year correlation of weekly returns is 0.25.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are QQQ and VCEL?
On 3 years of weekly data the QQQ/VCEL correlation comes out at 0.25, weak. The link has loosened recently: the 1-year correlation (0.05) runs below the 3-year figure (0.25). The 5-year figure is 0.35, and annualized covariance runs at 208.6 %².
Among the 4755 assets we track against QQQ, VCEL ranks #2190 by 3-year correlation. On 12-month performance QQQ holds a 11.6-point edge, +26.3% against +14.7%. One caveat on sizing: VCEL is 2.1 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.
QQQ vs VCEL: side by side
| QQQ (Invesco QQQ Trust) | VCEL (Vericel Corporation) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +26.3% | +14.7% |
| 5-year return | +95.4% | -26.0% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 19.6% | 41.9% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.28 | 1.00 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -22.8% | -52.5% |
| Market cap | – | $2.1B |
| P/E (trailing) | – | 87.6 |
| Dividend yield | 0.44% | 0.00% |
| Expense ratio | 0.18% | – |
| Assets under management | $452.8B | – |
| Sector / category | ETF · US Growth & Tech | US Listed |
On the fund side, QQQ sits in the Large Growth category at Invesco, with $452.8B under management, 104 holdings, a 0.18% expense ratio, a 0.44% trailing dividend yield.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | QQQ | VCEL |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -32.6% | -33.0% |
| 2023 | +54.9% | +35.2% |
| 2024 | +25.6% | +54.2% |
| 2025 | +20.8% | -34.4% |
| 2026 | +17.7% | +14.4% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are QQQ and VCEL good diversifiers for each other?
Reasonably. At 0.25, QQQ and VCEL keep a meaningful degree of independence, and combining them has historically reduced portfolio volatility.
FAQ
What is the correlation between QQQ and VCEL?
The QQQ/VCEL correlation stands at 0.25 on a 3-year window (1 year: 0.05, 5 years: 0.35), computed from weekly returns as of 2026-08-27.
Is VCEL a good diversifier for QQQ?
Reasonably. At 0.25, QQQ and VCEL keep a meaningful degree of independence, and combining them has historically reduced portfolio volatility.
What does a correlation of 0.25 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/qqq-vs-vcel.json
Drop this badge in a README or notebook; it updates with the data:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/qqq-vs-vcel/)
Free with attribution; caching and terms are described in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: QQQ correlations · VCEL correlations
