Our Goal
We focus on developing a balanced portfolio optimization framework that systematically minimizes investment risk and trading costs, while targeting asset appreciation. This approach avoids the roller-coaster of momentum trading, eliminates emotional trading and market timing.
Our Balanced Portfolio Framework
We define a set of investment framework goals:
Minimize risk for a set goal of excess return over risk-free rate
Adjust investments based on current market risk situation
Eliminate timing, emotions, hype and other non efficient investment practices
Minimize trading costs
Avoid wash sales (as much as possible)
Limit exposure per position held
Our framework evaluates the different US market and industry sectors as well as international and regional markets, U.S. treasury baskets and risk-free alternatives.
On each event of portfolio allocation, or "rebalance" as referred to in this site, the portfolio is evaluated from the ground up, inspecting the statistical correlation and joint performance of the different indexed components mentioned above.
Our asset management model is not a long-term buy & hold strategy. Asset evaluation is done on a weekly basis, using a sliding time window. We do not evaluate individual companies but rather use low-cost index ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) to establish diversification while following broad market sentiment and mitigating risk. The optimal asset allocation is computed while adhering to the above stated goals.
We are here to offer our take on a balanced portfolio theory implementation. One that allows us to invest systematically, without emotions or guesswork, and allows us to measure risk, performance and success in a clear, quantitative way.
At each point of rebalance we run our (experimental) computational model. The result is a set of ETFs and risk-free allocations. We usually evaluate the portfolio progress on a weekly basis, at the end of each week. When the time comes to rebalance, we trade on the next trading day according to the recommended asset allocation.
Trading costs and impact of rebalance frequency on cumulative performance and taxation are considered against the deviation from an optimal selection given current market conditions, to result in a rebalance schedule. This has proved to be one of the most difficult decisions in our trading experiment. We are constantly working to improve our decision models.
Following are the updated results from our ongoing managed portfolio experiment.
Note: results last updated 1/31/2010.
| | Since Inception* | YTD** | Last Week | Std. Dev* | Sharpe Ratio* |
| Our Portfolio | 0.34% | -1.42% | 0.42% | 7.31% | -0.049 |
| S&P 500 | -28.76% | -3.70% | -1.64% | 29.19% | -0.412 |
Risk Free (13-Week T-bill) | 1.721% | 0.004% | 0.0013% | 0.13% | |
* Period starting 12/03/2007 through 1/31/2010
** Since 12/28/2009
Please visit our model portfolio for a more detailed analysis and history of our ongoing, traded portfolio experiment.
You may register to our newsletter to receive notifications on rebalance events or other important changes to our practice. We think that this would be a great learning opportunity to you as it is to us.