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Symphonies
Desert Portfolio Approximation
Today’s Change
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A symphony is an automated trading strategy — Learn more about symphonies here

About

A calm, defense-first mix: 60% Treasuries (IEF), 30% total U.S. stocks (VTI), 10% gold (GLD). Bonds smooth the ride, stocks provide growth, and gold adds an inflation/crisis hedge. The portfolio is kept near those targets by rebalancing.
NutHow it works
Keeps a fixed mix: 60% U.S. Treasury bonds (IEF), 30% U.S. stocks (VTI), 10% gold (GLD). It checks regularly and rebalances back to those targets when the weights drift. Bonds aim to steady the ride, stocks drive growth, and gold hedges inflation or stress.
CheckmarkValue prop
Out-of-sample, this defense-first mix delivers stronger risk-adjusted results and far smaller drawdowns than the S&P 500: Sharpe 2.66 vs 1.41, Calmar 4.39, max drawdown 4.46% vs 13.73%, ~19.6% annualized return.
1M
3M
6M
YTD
1Y
3Y
Max
www.composer.trade
Performance
Compared to selected benchmarks
AlphaBetaR2R
SPY
0.040.240.490.7
Performance Metrics
Cumulative ReturnAnnualized ReturnTrailing 1M ReturnTrailing 3M ReturnSharpe Ratio
SPY
754.7%10.62%-0.15%0.4%0.63
Desert Portfolio Approximation
314.43%6.92%1.43%3.04%1.05
Initial Investment
$10,000.00
Final Value
$41,443.24
Regulatory Fees
$106.69
Total Slippage
$79.79
Invest in this strategy
OOS Start Date
Mar 8, 2025
Trading Setting
Daily
Type
Stocks
Category
Asset allocation, long-only, balanced, stocks-bonds-gold, static weights, us-focused
Tickers in this symphonyThis symphony trades 3 assets in total
Ticker
Type
GLD
SPDR Gold Trust, SPDR Gold Shares
Stocks
IEF
iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF
Stocks
VTI
Vanguard Total Stock Market 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.

"Desert Portfolio Approximation" is currently performing the same as yesterday today. Performance updates in real time during market hours.

"Desert Portfolio Approximation" is currently allocated toGLD, IEFandVTI. Holdings automatically adjust as market conditions change based on the strategy's rules.

Year-to-date, "Desert Portfolio Approximation" has returned 18.01%. You can adjust the performance chart above to view returns across different time horizons.

The maximum drawdown for "Desert Portfolio Approximation" is 4.46%. 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 "Desert Portfolio Approximation", 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.