Skip to Content
Symphonies
David Swensen's Yale Model
Today’s Change
—

A symphony is an automated trading strategy — Learn more about symphonies here

About

Simple endowment-style mix: 30% VTI (US stocks), 20% VXUS (intl stocks), 20% VNQ (US real estate), 15% VGSH (short Treasuries), 15% VTIP (short inflation‑linked Treasuries). Buy‑and‑hold; rebalance if a slice drifts ~5 pts.
NutHow it works
Split money across five index funds at fixed targets, then hold: - VTI 30% = US stocks - VXUS 20% = stocks outside the US - VNQ 20% = US real estate (REITs) - VGSH 15% = short-term US Treasury bonds - VTIP 15% = short-term inflation‑protected Treasuries No auto‑rebalance; optionally rebalance if any slice drifts ~5 pts.
CheckmarkValue prop
Out-of-sample edge: higher risk-adjusted return (Sharpe ~1.61 vs 1.41), lower max drawdown (8.9% vs 13.7%), and lower market beta. A diversified endowment-style mix offers steadier growth with less downside than the S&P 500.

Loading backtest data...

Invest in this strategy
OOS Start Date
Mar 15, 2025
Trading Setting
Threshold 5%
Type
Stocks
Category
Endowment-style, passive asset allocation, diversified multi-asset, buy-and-hold
Tickers in this symphonyThis symphony trades 5 assets in total
Ticker
Type
VGSH
Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF
Stocks
VNQ
Vanguard Real Estate ETF
Stocks
VTI
Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF
Stocks
VTIP
Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities Index Fund
Stocks
VXUS
Vanguard Total International Stock 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.

"David Swensen's Yale Model" is currently performing the same as yesterday today. Performance updates in real time during market hours.

"David Swensen's Yale Model" is currently allocated toVNQ, VTI, VGSH, VTIPandVXUS. Holdings automatically adjust as market conditions change based on the strategy's rules.

Year-to-date, "David Swensen's Yale Model" has returned 17.18%. You can adjust the performance chart above to view returns across different time horizons.

The maximum drawdown for "David Swensen's Yale Model" is 8.92%. 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 "David Swensen's Yale Model", 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.