RY vs SPY: Correlation
Measured on weekly returns over the past three years, Royal Bank Of Canada (RY) and SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) carry a correlation of 0.51, a moderate link.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are RY and SPY?
On 3 years of weekly data the RY/SPY correlation comes out at 0.51, moderate. Recent behaviour matches the longer record: 0.48 over 1 year against 0.51 over 3. The 5-year figure is 0.59, and annualized covariance runs at 118.7 %².
Out of 11 assets tracked against RY, SPY lands near the bottom at #7. Correlation aside, the last 12 months split them widely, with RY ahead by 22.0 points (+42.6% versus +20.6%).
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.
RY vs SPY: side by side
| RY (Royal Bank Of Canada) | SPY (SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +42.6% | +20.6% |
| 5-year return | +132.0% | +82.4% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 16.1% | 14.5% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.57 | 1.00 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -14.6% | -18.8% |
| Market cap | $283.2B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 18.7 | – |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 1.01% |
| Expense ratio | – | 0.09% |
| Assets under management | – | $795.3B |
| Sector / category | US Listed | ETF · US Large Cap |
SPY is a Large Blend fund from State Street Investment Management: $795.3B under management, 504 holdings, a 0.09% expense ratio, a 1.01% trailing dividend yield.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | RY | SPY |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -8.0% | -18.2% |
| 2023 | +12.2% | +26.2% |
| 2024 | +23.8% | +24.9% |
| 2025 | +45.2% | +17.7% |
| 2026 | +21.5% | +13.7% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are RY and SPY good diversifiers for each other?
Only partially. A correlation of 0.51 means RY and SPY share most of their swings. Pairing them dampens volatility somewhat, but it will not protect against a common drawdown.
FAQ
What is the correlation between RY and SPY?
As of 2026-08-27, the correlation of weekly returns between RY and SPY is 0.51 over 3 years, 0.48 over 1 year and 0.59 over 5 years.
Is SPY a good diversifier for RY?
Only partially. A correlation of 0.51 means RY and SPY share most of their swings. Pairing them dampens volatility somewhat, but it will not protect against a common drawdown.
What does a correlation of 0.51 mean?
On the −1 to +1 scale, 0.51 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.
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Related comparisons
Hubs: RY correlations · SPY correlations
