VRTX vs VXX: Correlation
Measured on weekly returns over the past three years, Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX) and iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN (VXX) carry a correlation of -0.25, a negative link.
Data as of 2026-08-27 · refreshed every trading day · weekly returns · methodology
How correlated are VRTX and VXX?
Over the past 3 years, VRTX and VXX moved with a correlation of -0.25, which is negative, meaning they tend to move in opposite directions. Recent behaviour matches the longer record: -0.28 over 1 year against -0.25 over 3. Over 5 years the correlation is -0.25, and the annualized covariance of weekly returns is -464.5 %².
Among the 31 assets we track against VRTX, VXX sits near the bottom by co-movement, at rank #28. Their recent paths diverged sharply: over the last 12 months VRTX outperformed by 90.4 percentage points (+40.7% for VRTX against -49.7% for VXX). One caveat on sizing: VXX is 2.0 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.
VRTX vs VXX: side by side
| VRTX (Vertex Pharmaceuticals) | VXX (iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Short-Term Futures ETN) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1-year return | +40.7% | -49.7% |
| 5-year return | +174.5% | -95.6% |
| Volatility (ann.) | 30.3% | 60.9% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.55 | -3.31 |
| Max drawdown (3Y) | -29.1% | -83.3% |
| Market cap | $138.8B | – |
| P/E (trailing) | 31.9 | – |
| Dividend yield | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sector / category | Health Care | US Listed |
Year-by-year returns
| Year | VRTX | VXX |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +31.5% | -23.8% |
| 2023 | +40.9% | -72.5% |
| 2024 | -1.0% | -26.2% |
| 2025 | +12.6% | -42.2% |
| 2026 | +20.8% | -31.6% |
Calendar-year price returns; the current year is year-to-date as of the data date above.
Are VRTX and VXX good diversifiers for each other?
Yes. With a correlation of -0.25, VRTX and VXX have moved largely independently, which makes them a genuinely diversifying pair by historical standards.
FAQ
What is the correlation between VRTX and VXX?
The VRTX/VXX correlation stands at -0.25 on a 3-year window (1 year: -0.28, 5 years: -0.25), computed from weekly returns as of 2026-08-27.
Is VXX a good diversifier for VRTX?
Yes. With a correlation of -0.25, VRTX and VXX have moved largely independently, which makes them a genuinely diversifying pair by historical standards.
What does a correlation of -0.25 mean?
On the −1 to +1 scale, -0.25 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/vrtx-vs-vxx.json
Drop this badge in a README or notebook; it updates with the data:
[](https://www.pairbook.io/pair/vrtx-vs-vxx/)
Free with attribution; caching and terms are described in the API documentation.
Related comparisons
Hubs: VRTX correlations · VXX correlations
