SPY vs VRSN: Correlation
How closely do SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) and Verisign (VRSN) trade together? Their weekly returns over three years give a correlation of 0.31, which is moderate.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are SPY and VRSN?
On 3 years of weekly data the SPY/VRSN correlation comes out at 0.31, moderate. The past 12 months show a weaker link (0.12) than the 3-year average (0.31). The 5-year figure is 0.54, and annualized covariance runs at 104.4 %².
By 3-year correlation, VRSN places #2134 of the 4755 assets tracked against SPY. On 12-month performance SPY holds a 11.0-point edge, +20.6% against +9.6%. Do not treat this figure as fixed: across three years the rolling one-year correlation ranged all the way from 0.12 to 0.70. Note the risk asymmetry: VRSN runs 1.6 times the annualized volatility of the other leg, so equal-weighting the two is not an equal-risk position.
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.
SPY vs VRSN: side by side
| SPY (SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust) | VRSN (Verisign) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +20.6% | +9.6% |
| 5-year return | +82.4% | +38.8% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 14.5% | 23.1% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.00 | 0.50 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -18.8% | -30.2% |
| Market cap | – | $26.6B |
| P/E (trailing) | – | 31.9 |
| Dividend yield | 1.01% | 1.08% |
| Expense ratio | 0.09% | – |
| Assets under management | $795.3B | – |
| Sector / category | ETF · US Large Cap | Information Technology |
On the fund side, SPY sits in the Large Blend category at State Street Investment Management, with $795.3B under management, 504 holdings, a 0.09% expense ratio, a 1.01% trailing dividend yield.
Year-by-year returns
| Year | SPY | VRSN |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -18.2% | -19.1% |
| 2023 | +26.2% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | +24.9% | +0.5% |
| 2025 | +17.7% | +18.4% |
| 2026 | +13.7% | +22.4% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are SPY and VRSN good diversifiers for each other?
A fair diversifier. At 0.31, enough of each asset's movement is its own that the pair has smoothed outcomes historically.
FAQ
What is the correlation between SPY and VRSN?
As of 2026-08-27, the correlation of weekly returns between SPY and VRSN is 0.31 over 3 years, 0.12 over 1 year and 0.54 over 5 years.
Is VRSN a good diversifier for SPY?
A fair diversifier. At 0.31, enough of each asset's movement is its own that the pair has smoothed outcomes historically.
What does a correlation of 0.31 mean?
A reading of 0.31 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/spy-vs-vrsn.json
Embed this badge (it refreshes with the data), with attribution:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/spy-vs-vrsn/)
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Related comparisons
Hubs: SPY correlations · VRSN correlations
