TQQQ or not/Pop
Today’s Change (Mar 17, 2026)
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A symphony is an automated trading strategy — Learn more about symphonies here
About
A complex, rule-driven tactic that hunts big up moves in tech/QQQ using leverage, while defending against risk with volatility hedges and safe-bond cash positions. It blends several momentum and risk indicators (RSI, cumulative returns, drawdown, standard deviation) across multiple assets to decide when to chase pops and when to park in safety. Not a simple buy-and-hold—it’s a regime-based, multi-asset approach with no fixed regular rebalancing.
- The system operates as a deep decision tree that splits into “Popped Waves,” then “Pop” and “Normal market” regimes. Each regime contains sub-portfolios focused on different assets (QQQ, SMH, SPY) and uses signals to decide which assets to own and how much of the portfolio to allocate to each group.
- Signals are built from momentum and risk measures: RSI for several assets (on various lookback periods), short-term cumulative returns, max drawdown, standard deviation, and whether the current price is above/below a moving average.
- When momentum is strong and risk is acceptable, the model tends to tilt toward leveraged equity ETFs (TQQQ, SPXL) and related sector plays (QQQ, SOXL) to chase upside. When momentum fades or risk rises (e.g., high RSI coupled with higher volatility or weak bond signals), the model shifts toward hedges (UVXY, SQQQ) and safer assets (BIL, bonds).
- The weights shown in the rules (e.g., 85/100, 40/100) describe how much of the portfolio is allocated to a given group at a decision point. A “rebalance: none” setting means the model doesn’t rebalance on a fixed schedule but rather applies signals to adjust weights when conditions change.
- Overall, the approach is regime-dependent: in a “Pop” regime it seeks to maximize exposure to rapid upside in tech/QQQ-related themes; in a “Normal market” regime it emphasizes risk checks and liquidity/capital preservation via cash-like positions and bonds.
- Important caveat: it uses leverage and volatility products, so it can amplify both gains and losses and requires careful risk budgeting and understanding of the instruments involved.
Out-of-sample edge: Sharpe ~1.46 vs SPY ~1.43; annualized return ~59% vs ~23%; Calmar ~2.03—strong risk-adjusted upside despite higher drawdown (~29% vs ~19%). Regime-based, leveraged tech exposure with hedges.
1M
3M
6M
YTD
1Y
3Y
Max
Performance
Compared to selected benchmarks
| Alpha | Beta | R2 | R | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.73 | 0.9 | 0.14 | 0.38 |
Performance Metrics
| Cumulative Return | Annualized Return | Trailing 1M Return | Trailing 3M Return | Sharpe Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 538.36% | 14.07% | -1.77% | 0.2% | 0.87 | |
| 6,177,231.28% | 118.86% | -1.15% | 0.12% | 2.15 |
Initial Investment
$10,000.00
Final Value
$617,733,128.01Regulatory Fees
$1,266,030.66
Total Slippage
$9,074,675.91
Invest in this strategy
OOS Start Date
Jan 9, 2023
Trading Setting
Threshold 10%
Type
Stocks
Category
Multi-asset, tactical allocation; leveraged equity exposure; volatility hedging; sector rotation; risk management with bonds
Tickers in this symphonyThis symphony trades 15 assets in total
Ticker
Type
BIL
State Street SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF
Stocks
BND
Vanguard Total Bond Market
Stocks
IEF
iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond ETF
Stocks
QQQ
Invesco QQQ Trust, Series 1
Stocks
SMH
VanEck Semiconductor ETF
Stocks
SOXL
Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bull 3X ETF
Stocks
SOXS
Direxion Daily Semiconductor Bear 3X ETF
Stocks
SPXL
Direxion Daily S&P 500 Bull 3x ETF
Stocks
SPY
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
Stocks
SQQQ
ProShares UltraPro Short QQQ
Stocks