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Symphonies
A Bad Idea
Today’s Change
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A symphony is an automated trading strategy — Learn more about symphonies here

About

Daily switch between SVXY (short‑volatility) and BIL (T‑bills). Stay in SVXY unless SVXY’s worst drop over the past 4 trading days exceeded 10%; then move to BIL. Very risky—SVXY can fall fast during market panics.
NutHow it works
Each day it chooses between two funds. - Hold SVXY, a fund that usually rises when markets are calm but can plunge when fear spikes. - If SVXY dropped more than 10% at any point in the last 4 trading days, switch to BIL, a cash‑like T‑bill fund. Repeat daily.
CheckmarkValue prop
Out-of-sample: ~19.5% annualized return with solid risk-adjusted metrics (Sharpe ~0.74; Calmar ~0.50). A rules-based volatility hedge (BIL) diversifies a core S&P 500 sleeve, targeting steadier risk-adjusted gains, though extreme stress can occur.

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Invest in this strategy
OOS Start Date
Jun 9, 2023
Trading Setting
Daily
Type
Stocks
Category
Volatility, vix futures, tactical allocation, risk-on/risk-off, inverse etf, market timing
Tickers in this symphonyThis symphony trades 2 assets in total
Ticker
Type
BIL
State Street SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF
Stocks
SVXY
ProShares Short VIX Short-Term Futures ETF
Stocks

FAQ

A Composer symphony is an automated trading strategy that executes trades based on parameters of your choice. Some symphonies are similar to holding one ETF in normal conditions and rotating to a different ETF when market conditions shift, for example a 5% drop in the S&P 500, while others use complex rules with dozens of triggers. However, complex doesn’t always mean better. A simple, well-structured symphony can be just as effective as an intricate one. Learn more about how symphonies work here.

"A Bad Idea" is currently performing the same as yesterday today. Performance updates in real time during market hours.

"A Bad Idea" is currently allocated toSVXY. Holdings automatically adjust as market conditions change based on the strategy's rules.

Year-to-date, "A Bad Idea" has returned 19.50%. You can adjust the performance chart above to view returns across different time horizons.

The maximum drawdown for "A Bad Idea" is 39.23%. The maximum drawdown measures the largest peak-to-trough decline. It's an important metric to evaluate risk and the strategy's behavior during market stress.

To invest in "A Bad Idea", simply click the Invest button on this page. You'll need to open an account with Composer if you don't have one yet, then you can start investing. Composer will automatically execute the trades for you based on the strategy's rules. Composer also supports trading individual stocks, ETFs, crypto, and options.