SYF vs VXX: Correlation
How closely do Synchrony Financial (SYF) and iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (VXX) trade together? Their weekly returns over three years give a correlation of -0.63, which is negative.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are SYF and VXX?
Over the past 3 years, SYF and VXX moved with a correlation of -0.63, which is negative, meaning they tend to move in opposite directions. The link has tightened recently: the 1-year correlation (-0.46) runs above the 3-year figure (-0.63). Over 5 years the correlation is -0.54, and the annualized covariance of weekly returns is -1208.8 %².
VXX is close to the least connected end of SYF's tracked universe, ranking #43 of 43. Their recent paths diverged sharply: over the last 12 months SYF outperformed by 57.0 percentage points (+7.3% for SYF against -49.7% for VXX). Risk is not evenly split, since VXX carries 1.9 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.
SYF vs VXX: side by side
| SYF (Synchrony Financial) | VXX (iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +7.3% | -49.7% |
| 5-year return | +81.0% | -95.6% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 31.6% | 60.9% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.28 | -3.31 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -37.7% | -83.3% |
| Market cap | $26.0B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 8.2 | – |
| Dividend yield | 1.50% | 0.00% |
| Sector / category | Financials | US Listed |
Year-by-year returns
| Year | SYF | VXX |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -27.4% | -23.8% |
| 2023 | +19.8% | -72.5% |
| 2024 | +74.0% | -26.2% |
| 2025 | +30.6% | -42.2% |
| 2026 | -3.0% | -31.6% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are SYF and VXX good diversifiers for each other?
Yes: at -0.63, the two have gone their own ways historically, which is what genuine diversification looks like.
FAQ
What is the correlation between SYF and VXX?
As of 2026-08-27, the correlation of weekly returns between SYF and VXX is -0.63 over 3 years, -0.46 over 1 year and -0.54 over 5 years.
Is VXX a good diversifier for SYF?
Yes: at -0.63, the two have gone their own ways historically, which is what genuine diversification looks like.
What does a correlation of -0.63 mean?
A reading of -0.63 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/syf-vs-vxx.json
Drop this badge in a README or notebook; it updates with the data:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/syf-vs-vxx/)
Free with attribution; caching and terms are described in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: SYF correlations · VXX correlations
