QLD FTLT + Ballast | 2007-01-11
Today’s Change (Mar 18, 2026)
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About
A daily-rebalanced, multi-asset strategy that blends leveraged Nasdaq exposure (QLD) with ballast (SHV, GLD, DBC/XME) and selective sector/commodity tilts, driven by RSI and moving-average momentum signals to chase upside while limiting drawdown.
- The portfolio is split into three main components: a growth sleeve (centered on QLD, a leveraged Nasdaq exposure), a ballast sleeve (cash-like SHV plus gold GLD and commodities DBC/XME), and a miscellaneous tilting layer that uses other broad-sector ETFs to fine-tune exposure.
- Every day, the system recalculates signals and rebalances to match the current rules.
- Signals are built from simple indicators: relative strength (momentum) tests and moving-average comparisons. For example, if the momentum of SPY/QQQ is strong and RSI-like readings are high, the system favors the growth sleeve (QLD and related equity proxies). If momentum signals weaken or reach thresholds suggesting overbought/overextended conditions, the model shifts toward ballast assets (SHV, GLD, DBC, XME) or even into complementary ETFs (e.g., XLP, XLK) as the rules dictate.
- In many branches, there is a default “cash-equivalent” tilt (cash-equal) to avoid overexposure when signals are unclear.
- The ballast block uses its own momentum logic (short-term and long-term) to decide when to hold gold (GLD) or shift to cash (SHV) or to commodity exposures (DBC, XME).
- The overall framework is designed to provide growth when markets trend, with diversification and downside cushioning when signals indicate risk.
- Start date in the configuration suggests historical testing began in 2007.
Out-of-sample, this strategy delivers higher risk-adjusted returns vs the S&P: Sharpe ~1.91, annualized ~49.8%, Calmar ~2.36, max drawdown ~21%. A momentum-driven growth-ballast mix with daily rebalancing aims for bigger gains plus downside protection.
1M
3M
6M
YTD
1Y
3Y
Max
Performance
Compared to selected benchmarks
| Alpha | Beta | R2 | R | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 | 0.59 | 0.32 | 0.56 |
Performance Metrics
| Cumulative Return | Annualized Return | Trailing 1M Return | Trailing 3M Return | Sharpe Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 571.19% | 10.45% | -1.77% | 0.2% | 0.6 | |
| 33,360.76% | 35.47% | 2.14% | 11.2% | 1.57 |
Initial Investment
$10,000.00
Final Value
$3,346,076.25Regulatory Fees
$6,261.38
Total Slippage
$36,661.28
Invest in this strategy
OOS Start Date
May 10, 2024
Trading Setting
Daily
Type
Stocks
Category
Momentum-based, leveraged growth, ballast/diversification, multi-asset, rebalanced daily
Tickers in this symphonyThis symphony trades 14 assets in total
Ticker
Type
DBC
Invesco DB Commodity Index Tracking Fund
Stocks
GLD
SPDR Gold Trust, SPDR Gold Shares
Stocks
IYY
iShares Dow Jones U.S. ETF
Stocks
PSQ
ProShares Short QQQ
Stocks
QLD
ProShares Ultra QQQ
Stocks
QQQ
Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1
Stocks
SHV
iShares Trust iShares 0-1 Year Treasury Bond ETF
Stocks
SPY
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
Stocks
VOX
Vanguard Communication Services ETF
Stocks
VTV
Vanguard Value ETF
Stocks