QQQ vs VRTX: Correlation
Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) and Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) show a weak relationship: their 3-year correlation of weekly returns is 0.22.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are QQQ and VRTX?
Across a 3-year window, the weekly returns of QQQ and VRTX correlate at 0.22, weak. Lately the two have drifted apart, with the 1-year correlation at 0.07 versus 0.22 over 3 years. Stretching to 5 years gives 0.27, with an annualized covariance of 129.2 %².
By 3-year correlation, VRTX places #2612 of the 4755 assets tracked against QQQ. On 12-month performance VRTX holds a 14.4-point edge, +26.3% against +40.7%. The relationship is regime-dependent: the rolling one-year correlation swung between -0.05 and 0.51 over the past three years, so this pair behaves very differently depending on the market environment. One caveat on sizing: VRTX is 1.5 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 VRTX: side by side
| QQQ (Invesco QQQ Trust) | VRTX (Vertex Pharmaceuticals) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +26.3% | +40.7% |
| 5-year return | +95.4% | +174.5% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 19.6% | 30.3% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.28 | 0.55 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -22.8% | -29.1% |
| Market cap | – | $138.8B |
| P/E (trailing) | – | 31.9 |
| Dividend yield | 0.44% | 0.00% |
| Expense ratio | 0.18% | – |
| Assets under management | $452.8B | – |
| Sector / category | ETF · US Growth & Tech | Health Care |
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 | VRTX |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -32.6% | +31.5% |
| 2023 | +54.9% | +40.9% |
| 2024 | +25.6% | -1.0% |
| 2025 | +20.8% | +12.6% |
| 2026 | +17.7% | +20.8% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Fund exposure
A structural note: 0.62% of QQQ is VRTX itself, so the fund partly moves with the stock by construction.
Are QQQ and VRTX good diversifiers for each other?
A fair diversifier. At 0.22, enough of each asset's movement is its own that the pair has smoothed outcomes historically.
FAQ
What is the correlation between QQQ and VRTX?
Using weekly returns as of 2026-08-27: 0.22 over 3 years, with 0.07 over the last year and 0.27 over 5 years.
Is VRTX a good diversifier for QQQ?
A fair diversifier. At 0.22, enough of each asset's movement is its own that the pair has smoothed outcomes historically.
What does a correlation of 0.22 mean?
On the −1 to +1 scale, 0.22 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-vrtx.json
Markdown for the live badge, attribution link included:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/qqq-vs-vrtx/)
The core API is free. Terms and every endpoint in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: QQQ correlations · VRTX correlations
