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Symphonies
Volatility Mid-Term (SPY RSI + Vixation Strategy) (ZVOL VXZ PULS)
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A symphony is an automated trading strategy — Learn more about symphonies here

About

Daily, rules-based bets on market fear: rotate among ZVOL (when expecting volatility to fall), VXZ (when expecting volatility to rise), or PULS (cash-like), guided by simple “stretched or panicked” signals from SPY and a few sector/leveraged funds.
NutHow it works
It tries to profit from swings in market “fear” (volatility). 70%: check how “stretched” SPY looks using a simple heat gauge (RSI) over 2–10 days. If SPY looks washed‑out, expect fear to cool: hold ZVOL (wins when volatility falls). If overheated, expect a shake‑out: hold VXZ (rises when volatility jumps). Otherwise sit in PULS (cash‑like). 30%: extra checks on XLP, TQQQ, XLY, FAS, SPY—go VXZ if they’re overheated; otherwise use ZVOL unless fear just spiked, then park in PULS.
CheckmarkValue prop
Out-of-sample edge: ~32.8% annualized return vs ~19.4% for the S&P; max drawdown ~10.2% vs ~16.6%; Calmar ~3.21; Sharpe ~1.84; beta ~0.65. Higher risk-adjusted growth through volatility timing.

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Invest in this strategy
OOS Start Date
Feb 22, 2025
Trading Setting
Daily
Type
Stocks
Category
Volatility timing, vix etp rotation, tactical etf allocation, rules-based, daily rebalanced
Tickers in this symphonyThis symphony trades 9 assets in total
Ticker
Type
FAS
Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3x Shares
Stocks
PULS
PGIM Ultra Short Bond ETF
Stocks
SPY
State Street SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust
Stocks
SVXY
ProShares Short VIX Short-Term Futures ETF
Stocks
TQQQ
ProShares UltraPro QQQ
Stocks
VXZ
iPath Series B S&P 500 VIX Mid-Term Futures ETN
Stocks
XLP
State Street Consumer Staples Select Sector SPDR ETF
Stocks
XLY
State Street Consumer Discretionary Select Sector SPDR ETF
Stocks
ZVOL
Volatility Premium Plus 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.

The symphony is currently performing the same as yesterday today. Performance updates in real time during market hours.

The symphony is currently allocated toPULSandZVOL. Holdings automatically adjust as market conditions change based on the strategy's rules.

Year-to-date, the symphony has returned 32.18%. You can adjust the performance chart above to view returns across different time horizons.

The maximum drawdown for the symphony is 10.22%. 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 the symphony, 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.