STRA vs VXZ: Correlation
Strategic Education, Inc. (STRA) and iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Mid-Term Futures ETN (VXZ) show a negative relationship: their 3-year correlation of weekly returns is -0.44.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are STRA and VXZ?
On 3 years of weekly data the STRA/VXZ correlation comes out at -0.44, negative, meaning they tend to move in opposite directions. The past 12 months show a tighter link (-0.30) than the 3-year average (-0.44). The 5-year figure is -0.42, and annualized covariance runs at -392.6 %².
Among the 13 assets we track against STRA, VXZ sits near the bottom by co-movement, at rank #12. Their recent paths diverged sharply: over the last 12 months STRA outperformed by 24.2 percentage points (+8.1% for STRA against -16.1% for VXZ).
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.
STRA vs VXZ: side by side
| STRA (Strategic Education, Inc.) | VXZ (iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Mid-Term Futures ETN) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +8.1% | -16.1% |
| 5-year return | +27.6% | -53.1% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 34.7% | 25.6% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.80 | -1.31 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -38.1% | -36.4% |
| Market cap | $1.9B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 14.2 | – |
| Dividend yield | 2.81% | – |
| Sector / category | US Listed | US Listed |
Year-by-year returns
| Year | STRA | VXZ |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +40.4% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | +21.4% | -44.0% |
| 2024 | +3.5% | -12.7% |
| 2025 | -11.6% | +5.7% |
| 2026 | +8.3% | -10.5% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are STRA and VXZ good diversifiers for each other?
Yes: at -0.44, the two have gone their own ways historically, which is what genuine diversification looks like.
FAQ
What is the correlation between STRA and VXZ?
As of 2026-08-27, the correlation of weekly returns between STRA and VXZ is -0.44 over 3 years, -0.30 over 1 year and -0.42 over 5 years.
Is VXZ a good diversifier for STRA?
Yes: at -0.44, the two have gone their own ways historically, which is what genuine diversification looks like.
What does a correlation of -0.44 mean?
On the −1 to +1 scale, -0.44 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/stra-vs-vxz.json
Drop this badge in a README or notebook; it updates with the data:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/stra-vs-vxz/)
The core API is free. Terms and every endpoint in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: STRA correlations · VXZ correlations