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Symphonies
Cautious Fund Surfing | SPY vs. SHY | 2x
Today’s Change
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A symphony is an automated trading strategy — Learn more about symphonies here

About

A defensive mix: 50% U.S. insurance (IAK, PGR, AJG), 25% silver (SIVR), and 25% in a cautious switch that holds T‑bills (SGOV) unless markets are calm and stocks look weak vs short Treasuries—then it uses a 2× S&P 500 fund (SSO).
NutHow it works
What you own: 25% runs a switch and 75% is static. - The switch (25%): It sits in SGOV (a T‑bill fund) unless the S&P 500 (SPY) has been calm (over 14–42 days). When calm, it compares simple “strength scores” (RSI) of SPY vs SHY (short Treasuries). If SPY’s score is lower, it uses SSO (a 2× S&P 500 fund); otherwise it stays in SGOV. This check is split across 15 lookbacks to smooth timing. - The static 75%: 25% SIVR (silver), 25% IAK (U.S. insurers), 12.5% PGR, 12.5% AJG.
CheckmarkValue prop
Out-of-sample results show ~2x risk-adjusted return (Sharpe), ~43% annualized return vs ~23% for the S&P, and smaller drawdowns (~11% vs ~15%). Lower beta and a Calmar near 3.9 signal a more resilient, upside-driven alternative to the S&P 500.

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Invest in this strategy
OOS Start Date
Mar 4, 2025
Trading Setting
Threshold 1%
Type
Stocks
Category
Tactical allocation, volatility filter, relative strength (rsi), leveraged equities, insurance sector, precious metals, cash/t-bills, defensive
Tickers in this symphonyThis symphony trades 8 assets in total
Ticker
Type
AJG
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.
Stocks
IAK
iShares U.S. Insurance ETF
Stocks
PGR
Progressive Corporation
Stocks
SGOV
iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF
Stocks
SHY
iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF
Stocks
SIVR
abrdn Physical Silver Shares ETF
Stocks
SPY
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
Stocks
SSO
ProShares Ultra S&P500
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.

The symphony is currently performing the same as yesterday today. Performance updates in real time during market hours.

The symphony is currently allocated toAJG, IAK, PGR, SSOandSIVR. Holdings automatically adjust as market conditions change based on the strategy's rules.

Year-to-date, the symphony has returned 29.42%. You can adjust the performance chart above to view returns across different time horizons.

The maximum drawdown for the symphony is 11.84%. 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 the symphony, 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, and options.