QQQ vs WDC: Correlation
Measured on weekly returns over the past three years, Invesco QQQ Trust (QQQ) and Western Digital (WDC) carry a correlation of 0.57, a moderate link.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are QQQ and WDC?
On 3 years of weekly data the QQQ/WDC correlation comes out at 0.57, moderate. Recent behaviour matches the longer record: 0.47 over 1 year against 0.57 over 3. The 5-year figure is 0.55, and annualized covariance runs at 650.4 %².
Within QQQ's tracked universe of 4755 assets, WDC comes in at #174 by 3-year correlation. Their recent paths diverged sharply: over the last 12 months WDC outperformed by 448.0 percentage points (+26.3% for QQQ against +474.3% for WDC). On a rolling one-year basis the correlation drifted between 0.44 and 0.79, a moderate band. One caveat on sizing: WDC is 3.0 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 WDC: side by side
| QQQ (Invesco QQQ Trust) | WDC (Western Digital) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +26.3% | +474.3% |
| 5-year return | +95.4% | +889.2% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 19.6% | 58.0% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.28 | 2.15 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -22.8% | -49.6% |
| Market cap | – | $166.6B |
| P/E (trailing) | – | 17.4 |
| Dividend yield | 0.44% | 0.11% |
| Expense ratio | 0.18% | – |
| Assets under management | $452.8B | – |
| Sector / category | ETF · US Growth & Tech | Information Technology |
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 | QQQ | WDC |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -32.6% | -51.6% |
| 2023 | +54.9% | +66.0% |
| 2024 | +25.6% | +13.9% |
| 2025 | +20.8% | +283.7% |
| 2026 | +17.7% | +168.4% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Fund exposure
A structural note: 0.72% of QQQ is WDC itself, so the fund partly moves with the stock by construction.
Are QQQ and WDC good diversifiers for each other?
To a limited degree. At 0.57 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 QQQ and WDC?
The QQQ/WDC correlation stands at 0.57 on a 3-year window (1 year: 0.47, 5 years: 0.55), computed from weekly returns as of 2026-08-27.
Is WDC a good diversifier for QQQ?
To a limited degree. At 0.57 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 0.57 mean?
On the −1 to +1 scale, 0.57 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-wdc.json
Embed this badge (it refreshes with the data), with attribution:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/qqq-vs-wdc/)
The core API is free. Terms and every endpoint in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: QQQ correlations · WDC correlations
