SMH vs STK: Correlation
How closely do VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH) and Columbia Seligman Premium Technology Growth Fund Inc (STK) trade together? Their weekly returns over three years give a correlation of 0.82, which is very strong.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are SMH and STK?
Across a 3-year window, the weekly returns of SMH and STK correlate at 0.82, very strong, meaning they move nearly in lockstep. Recent behaviour matches the longer record: 0.79 over 1 year against 0.82 over 3. Stretching to 5 years gives 0.83, with an annualized covariance of 730.5 %².
Within SMH's tracked universe of 88 assets, STK comes in at #11 by 3-year correlation. The last year tells two different stories: SMH led by 16.3 percentage points, +93.1% for SMH against +76.8% for STK.
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.
SMH vs STK: side by side
| SMH (VanEck Semiconductor ETF) | STK (Columbia Seligman Premium Technology Growth Fund Inc) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +93.1% | +76.8% |
| 5-year return | +332.8% | +153.2% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 33.7% | 26.4% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.91 | 1.51 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -35.7% | -26.6% |
| Market cap | – | – |
| P/E (trailing) | – | 5.9 |
| Dividend yield | – | 0.00% |
| Sector / category | ETF · Thematic | US Listed |
Year-by-year returns
| Year | SMH | STK |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -33.5% | -30.4% |
| 2023 | +73.4% | +49.2% |
| 2024 | +39.1% | +17.7% |
| 2025 | +49.2% | +24.9% |
| 2026 | +59.1% | +47.2% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are SMH and STK good diversifiers for each other?
No. With a correlation of 0.82, SMH and STK move nearly in lockstep, so holding both adds very little diversification.
FAQ
What is the correlation between SMH and STK?
The SMH/STK correlation stands at 0.82 on a 3-year window (1 year: 0.79, 5 years: 0.83), computed from weekly returns as of 2026-08-27.
Is STK a good diversifier for SMH?
No. With a correlation of 0.82, SMH and STK move nearly in lockstep, so holding both adds very little diversification.
What does a correlation of 0.82 mean?
On the −1 to +1 scale, 0.82 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/smh-vs-stk.json
Embed this badge (it refreshes with the data), with attribution:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/smh-vs-stk/)
No key needed, free to use. Full endpoint list in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: SMH correlations · STK correlations
