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

About

A monthly, rule-based asset mix that gates risk-taking with a 30% safety cushion (UUP, GLD, SHY) and a 70% risk tilt guided by JNK canary signals, SPY momentum (RSI), and bond-trend checks. Uses levered ETFs (SSO, UVXY, TMF) for amplified exposure under favorable momentum, with safety hedges when signals warn of risk.
NutHow it works
Plain-language description of the logic and signals: - The portfolio is split into two parts: Safety (about 30%) and Risk (about 70%). Safety holdings go to a small, mixed basket designed to hold up in rough markets: UUP (dollar exposure), GLD (gold), and SHY (short-term Treasuries). This is the ballast. - The rest of the portfolio (the 70% risk side) is steered toward riskier assets when the signals say the markets look good, and hedged or reduced when signals warn of trouble. - The key “canary” signal is the JNK ETF (high-yield bonds). If JNK’s performance over the last 30 days beats a safe benchmark (BIL, a short-term Treasury ETF), the system leans into risk assets (notably SSO, which is a levered bet on the S&P 500). If JNK underperforms, the system either stays in safety or uses other cues to adjust. - A separate signal looks at SPY’s momentum: if SPY’s 14-day RSI is very high (about 75 or more), the strategy adds UVXY (volatility exposure) as a hedge when market turbulence is possible. If SPY is oversold (RSI around 27), the system may tilt toward risk assets again, seeking a rebound. - There’s also a momentum/trend check for longer-term bonds: TMF (levered long-duration Treasuries) versus TLT (long Treasuries) using a 90-day look-back. If this check supports higher bond risk-taking, the risk tilt can be adjusted accordingly. - A 30-day SSO vs BIL comparison is used to time the degree of equity exposure, adding a refined momentum filter to when the levered equity exposure should be used. - The overall approach is executed daily in the sense that signals are recalculated every day, but the actual trades are aligned with a monthly rebalancing cadence to avoid frequent churn. The intention is to capture favorable market regimes while maintaining a safety core to shield against drawdowns. The underlying ETFs represent a mix of equities (SSO), credit (JNK), volatility (UVXY), and safety assets (UUP, GLD, SHY, BIL, TMF, TLT). Disclaimer: levered ETFs (SSO, UVXY, TMF) magnify both gains and losses and require careful risk management and cost considerations.
CheckmarkValue prop
Out-of-sample performance shows the strategy delivers stronger risk-adjusted gains than the S&P: ~36% annualized return vs ~23% SPY, ~12% max drawdown vs ~19%, Sharpe ~1.61 vs ~1.42, Calmar ~3.0. Higher upside, lower risk through risk-managed, signal-driven allocation.

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Invest in this strategy
OOS Start Date
Jan 6, 2023
Trading Setting
Daily
Type
Stocks
Category
Multi-asset tactical allocation, trend-following / momentum, risk-managed, etf-based
Tickers in this symphonyThis symphony trades 10 assets in total
Ticker
Type
BIL
State Street SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF
Stocks
GLD
SPDR Gold Trust, SPDR Gold Shares
Stocks
JNK
State Street SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF
Stocks
SHY
iShares 1-3 Year Treasury Bond ETF
Stocks
SPY
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
Stocks
SSO
ProShares Ultra S&P500
Stocks
TLT
iShares 20+ Year Treasury Bond ETF
Stocks
TMF
Direxion Daily 20+ Year Treasury Bull 3X ETF
Stocks
UUP
Invesco DB US Dollar Index Bullish Fund
Stocks
UVXY
ProShares Ultra 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.

"Monthly JNK canary" is currently performing the same as yesterday today. Performance updates in real time during market hours.

"Monthly JNK canary" is currently allocated toGLD, SHYandUUP. Holdings automatically adjust as market conditions change based on the strategy's rules.

Year-to-date, "Monthly JNK canary" has returned 31.91%. You can adjust the performance chart above to view returns across different time horizons.

The maximum drawdown for "Monthly JNK canary" is 12.01%. 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 "Monthly JNK canary", 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.