SOXX vs WDC: Correlation
How closely do iShares Semiconductor ETF (SOXX) and Western Digital (WDC) trade together? Their weekly returns over three years give a correlation of 0.68, which is strong.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are SOXX and WDC?
Across a 3-year window, the weekly returns of SOXX and WDC correlate at 0.68, strong. Little has changed lately, as the 1-year reading of 0.63 lands near the 3-year figure. Stretching to 5 years gives 0.68, with an annualized covariance of 1395.7 %².
Within SOXX's tracked universe of 127 assets, WDC comes in at #54 by 3-year correlation. Their recent paths diverged sharply: over the last 12 months WDC outperformed by 364.3 percentage points (+110.0% for SOXX against +474.3% for WDC). The rolling one-year correlation stayed in a tight band between 0.62 and 0.81 over the past three years, which points to a structural rather than episodic relationship. Risk is not evenly split, since WDC carries 1.6 times the volatility of the other side.
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.
SOXX vs WDC: side by side
| SOXX (iShares Semiconductor ETF) | WDC (Western Digital) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +110.0% | +474.3% |
| 5-year return | +247.5% | +889.2% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 35.2% | 58.0% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.93 | 2.15 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -41.4% | -49.6% |
| Market cap | – | $166.6B |
| P/E (trailing) | – | 17.4 |
| Dividend yield | 0.29% | 0.11% |
| Expense ratio | 0.33% | – |
| Assets under management | $44.7B | – |
| Sector / category | ETF · Thematic | Information Technology |
SOXX is a Technology fund from iShares: $44.7B under management, 30 holdings, a 0.33% expense ratio, a 0.29% trailing dividend yield.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | SOXX | WDC |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -35.1% | -51.6% |
| 2023 | +67.1% | +66.0% |
| 2024 | +12.9% | +13.9% |
| 2025 | +40.7% | +283.7% |
| 2026 | +74.7% | +168.4% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are SOXX and WDC good diversifiers for each other?
Somewhat, no more. With 0.68 correlation, most large moves hit both names, and the diversification benefit stays modest.
FAQ
What is the correlation between SOXX and WDC?
The SOXX/WDC correlation stands at 0.68 on a 3-year window (1 year: 0.63, 5 years: 0.68), computed from weekly returns as of 2026-08-27.
Is WDC a good diversifier for SOXX?
Somewhat, no more. With 0.68 correlation, most large moves hit both names, and the diversification benefit stays modest.
What does a correlation of 0.68 mean?
A reading of 0.68 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/soxx-vs-wdc.json
Embed this badge (it refreshes with the data), with attribution:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/soxx-vs-wdc/)
The core API is free. Terms and every endpoint in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: SOXX correlations · WDC correlations
