RL vs USO: Correlation
Ralph Lauren Corporation (RL) and United States Oil Fund (USO) show a negative relationship: their 3-year correlation of weekly returns is -0.17.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are RL and USO?
Across a 3-year window, the weekly returns of RL and USO correlate at -0.17, negative, meaning they tend to move in opposite directions. The link has loosened recently: the 1-year correlation (-0.41) runs below the 3-year figure (-0.17). Stretching to 5 years gives -0.07, with an annualized covariance of -221.6 %².
Within RL's tracked universe of 42 assets, USO comes in at #35 by 3-year correlation. The last year tells two different stories: USO led by 53.4 percentage points, +20.7% for RL against +74.1% for USO. The relationship is regime-dependent: the rolling one-year correlation swung between -0.46 and 0.31 over the past three years, so this pair behaves very differently depending on the market environment.
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.
RL vs USO: side by side
| RL (Ralph Lauren Corporation) | USO (United States Oil Fund) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +20.7% | +74.1% |
| 5-year return | +232.5% | +168.6% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 33.6% | 39.4% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.07 | -0.20 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -36.2% | -32.5% |
| Market cap | $21.0B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 22.8 | – |
| Dividend yield | 1.03% | – |
| Sector / category | Consumer Discretionary | ETF · Commodities |
Year-by-year returns
| Year | RL | USO |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -8.4% | +29.0% |
| 2023 | +39.8% | -4.9% |
| 2024 | +62.9% | +13.4% |
| 2025 | +55.0% | -8.5% |
| 2026 | +0.0% | +88.0% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are RL and USO good diversifiers for each other?
Yes. With a correlation of -0.17, RL and USO have moved largely independently, which makes them a genuinely diversifying pair by historical standards.
FAQ
What is the correlation between RL and USO?
The RL/USO correlation stands at -0.17 on a 3-year window (1 year: -0.41, 5 years: -0.07), computed from weekly returns as of 2026-08-27.
Is USO a good diversifier for RL?
Yes. With a correlation of -0.17, RL and USO have moved largely independently, which makes them a genuinely diversifying pair by historical standards.
What does a correlation of -0.17 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/rl-vs-uso.json
Drop this badge in a README or notebook; it updates with the data:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/rl-vs-uso/)
No key needed, free to use. Full endpoint list in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: RL correlations · USO correlations