RPRX vs XLV: Correlation
How closely do Royalty Pharma plc - Class A (RPRX) and Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLV) trade together? Their weekly returns over three years give a correlation of 0.41, which is moderate.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are RPRX and XLV?
Across a 3-year window, the weekly returns of RPRX and XLV correlate at 0.41, moderate. The past 12 months show a tighter link (0.56) than the 3-year average (0.41). Stretching to 5 years gives 0.47, with an annualized covariance of 127.0 %².
In RPRX's tracked universe of 10 assets, XLV sits right near the top at #1. The last year tells two different stories: RPRX led by 47.5 percentage points, +75.0% for RPRX against +27.5% for XLV.
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.
RPRX vs XLV: side by side
| RPRX (Royalty Pharma plc - Class A) | XLV (Health Care Select Sector SPDR Fund) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +75.0% | +27.5% |
| 5-year return | +78.4% | +37.4% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 21.2% | 14.7% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.24 | 0.42 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -20.7% | -17.1% |
| Market cap | $35.8B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 33.3 | – |
| Dividend yield | 1.47% | 1.56% |
| Expense ratio | – | 0.08% |
| Assets under management | – | $41.7B |
| Sector / category | US Listed | Sector ETF |
On the fund side, XLV sits in the Health category at State Street Investment Management, with $41.7B under management, 61 holdings, a 0.08% expense ratio, a 1.56% trailing dividend yield.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | RPRX | XLV |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +1.0% | -2.1% |
| 2023 | -27.1% | +2.1% |
| 2024 | -6.4% | +2.5% |
| 2025 | +55.3% | +14.5% |
| 2026 | +62.5% | +11.8% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are RPRX and XLV good diversifiers for each other?
Yes, to a useful degree: a correlation of 0.41 leaves real independence between the two, which historically damped combined volatility.
FAQ
What is the correlation between RPRX and XLV?
As of 2026-08-27, the correlation of weekly returns between RPRX and XLV is 0.41 over 3 years, 0.56 over 1 year and 0.47 over 5 years.
Is XLV a good diversifier for RPRX?
Yes, to a useful degree: a correlation of 0.41 leaves real independence between the two, which historically damped combined volatility.
What does a correlation of 0.41 mean?
A reading of 0.41 sits on a scale from −1 (opposite moves) through 0 (unrelated) to +1 (identical moves). Correlation captures direction, not magnitude or performance.
Use this data
$ curl https://www.pairbook.io/api/v1/pairs/rprx-vs-xlv.json
Drop this badge in a README or notebook; it updates with the data:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/rprx-vs-xlv/)
Free with attribution; caching and terms are described in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: RPRX correlations · XLV correlations
