TY vs VXX: Correlation
How closely do Tri Continental Corporation (TY) 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 -0.69, which is negative.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are TY and VXX?
Over the past 3 years, TY and VXX moved with a correlation of -0.69, which is negative, meaning they tend to move in opposite directions. The link has tightened recently: the 1-year correlation (-0.55) runs above the 3-year figure (-0.69). Over 5 years the correlation is -0.62, and the annualized covariance of weekly returns is -563.5 %².
VXX is close to the least connected end of TY's tracked universe, ranking #18 of 18. Their recent paths diverged sharply: over the last 12 months TY outperformed by 61.0 percentage points (+11.3% for TY against -49.7% for VXX). One caveat on sizing: VXX is 4.5 times as volatile as the other leg, so an equal-dollar split is far from equal-risk.
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.
TY vs VXX: side by side
| TY (Tri Continental Corporation) | VXX (iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +11.3% | -49.7% |
| 5-year return | +26.0% | -95.6% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 13.5% | 60.9% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.79 | -3.31 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -19.7% | -83.3% |
| Market cap | $1.9B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 7.3 | – |
| Dividend yield | 3.09% | 0.00% |
| Sector / category | US Listed | US Listed |
Year-by-year returns
| Year | TY | VXX |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -19.7% | -23.8% |
| 2023 | +17.2% | -72.5% |
| 2024 | +15.0% | -26.2% |
| 2025 | +6.6% | -42.2% |
| 2026 | +12.6% | -31.6% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are TY and VXX good diversifiers for each other?
By historical standards, yes. A correlation of -0.69 means the two rarely move for the same reasons.
FAQ
What is the correlation between TY and VXX?
As of 2026-08-27, the correlation of weekly returns between TY and VXX is -0.69 over 3 years, -0.55 over 1 year and -0.62 over 5 years.
Is VXX a good diversifier for TY?
By historical standards, yes. A correlation of -0.69 means the two rarely move for the same reasons.
What does a correlation of -0.69 mean?
A reading of -0.69 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/ty-vs-vxx.json
Drop this badge in a README or notebook; it updates with the data:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/ty-vs-vxx/)
Free with attribution; caching and terms are described in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: TY correlations · VXX correlations
