Tactical Asset Allocation

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GTAA Agg. 6 represents a more assertive iteration of Meb Faber's GTAA 13 approach, as detailed in his influential paper titled A Quantitative Approach to Tactical Asset Allocation. This strategy melds together the concepts of relative momentum (evaluating asset returns concerning other assets) and absolute momentum (assessing asset returns in isolation), enabling it to assume concentrated positions within a varied selection of global asset categories.


Strategy current allocation

AssetAllocationChange
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Tactical Asset Allocation Equity Curve


Tactical Asset Allocation strategy statistics

Annualized Return11.4%
Annualized Volatility10.3%
Sharpe Ratio0.7
Maximum Drawdown-10.5% (02/2023)
Ulcer Performance Index1.42
Best Month Return11.0%
Worst Month Return-19.5%
Average trades per year26.4


The strategy rules for tactical asset allocation are:

  1. Calculate the 1, 3, 6, and 12-month returns for each of the 13 global asset classes at the end of the month's final trading day.
  2. Determine the mean value of the four preceding data points for each asset class. Initiate a long position in the six asset classes that exhibit the highest average values, allocating an equal 1/6 share of the portfolio to each (based on relative momentum). However, if any of those assets are expected to dip below their 10-month moving average, reallocate the corresponding portion of the portfolio into cash (according to absolute momentum).
  3. Maintain your positions until the last trading day of the next month, and adjust the entire portfolio on a monthly basis, even if there are no changes in the positions.


Tactical Asset Allocation returns

retididYearJanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecemberYear
98221198011,000,70-14,202,904,306,802,903,502,202,104,00-3,6022,50
983211981-0,901,404,201,200,70-0,50-2,00-3,20-0,101,203,90-2,602,90
984211982-0,80-0,601,402,800,50-3,003,405,803,208,205,001,9030,90
9852119833,20-0,302,106,901,703,30-2,00-1,601,60-2,302,201,6017,10
9862119844,00-1,702,400,40-3,10-1,40-1,302,403,102,801,101,9010,80
9872119852,801,100,200,506,601,70-0,900,702,904,103,102,7028,50
9882119861,408,608,301,20-1,302,70-2,603,00-4,90-1,201,000,1016,70
9892119873,201,603,201,301,204,004,205,10-5,10-19,501,500,30-1,80
9902119880,300,603,001,10-0,602,70-0,40-2,501,701,00-0,802,608,90
9912119892,700,603,306,702,70-2,203,900,502,90-2,500,202,7023,20
992211990-3,500,50-4,100,901,100,802,90-5,301,60-0,800,800,80-4,60
993211991-0,101,702,600,604,30-4,203,502,30-0,401,40-3,306,8015,90
9942119924,602,20-1,20-0,201,10-1,703,400,401,20-1,402,702,9014,60
9952119933,602,203,40-0,801,501,102,002,701,502,30-3,004,4022,80
9962119942,30-1,40-5,601,70-0,10-0,501,501,80-1,40-0,60-3,20-1,00-6,60
9972119950,902,202,502,103,601,301,800,902,60-0,903,302,2025,00
9982119960,40-0,402,203,201,20-0,10-3,902,903,301,305,001,8017,80
9992119972,60-1,30-3,401,303,904,805,10-2,306,30-2,101,902,6020,50
1.000211998-0,502,604,000,80-1,701,70-0,30-5,403,40-0,501,903,309,30
1.0012119990,90-3,504,005,30-2,604,60-2,00-0,40-0,301,802,408,3019,10
1.002212000-1,006,10-0,20-5,50-1,601,50-1,004,20-1,30-2,700,603,001,60
1.0032120011,30-0,20-0,700,401,101,80-0,600,70-2,100,70-2,000,100,40
1.0042120021,001,002,501,40-0,60-0,40-0,303,101,20-1,60-0,305,1012,50
1.0052120032,301,20-2,200,005,50-1,002,303,800,005,703,204,5027,90
1.0062120042,902,201,20-6,201,902,50-1,802,002,903,505,302,3019,60
1.007212005-2,504,10-1,80-3,400,903,704,700,002,70-3,903,402,7010,40
1.0082120068,70-1,804,103,40-4,400,101,900,70-0,103,203,501,4021,90
1.0092120072,40-1,601,302,302,00-0,70-4,100,604,306,30-2,701,8012,10
1.010212008-0,103,20-0,10-0,700,800,30-1,50-2,70-3,30-9,203,703,10-7,10
1.011212009-3,40-1,000,80-1,805,30-1,006,802,105,70-4,005,902,3018,40
1.012212010-5,503,308,004,40-7,80-3,601,101,403,102,70-0,306,0012,10
1.0132120110,504,601,104,40-2,00-2,50-0,902,00-2,400,50-0,40-0,304,20
1.0142120121,50-0,601,50-0,50-0,401,202,200,401,20-1,900,603,709,20
1.0152120134,300,803,802,200,10-1,305,20-4,004,303,102,301,8024,70
1.016212014-4,404,60-0,10-0,201,801,80-3,003,10-4,303,301,700,804,60
1.0172120150,60-2,400,60-2,700,00-1,000,40-4,300,00-0,10-0,100,20-8,70
1.018212016-1,300,702,800,80-0,804,001,70-0,500,10-2,602,002,409,60
1.0192120171,601,600,101,301,001,702,50-0,301,001,902,000,9016,20
1.0202120185,10-4,000,300,102,200,600,602,90-0,50-7,300,90-2,40-2,20
1.0212120191,20-0,602,400,50-1,403,000,805,10-1,200,70-0,801,2011,30
1.022212020-2,70-2,80-2,001,400,601,605,700,60-2,60-0,906,306,0011,00
1.0232120212,104,701,703,202,300,80-1,201,40-2,005,80-4,403,3018,60
1.024212022-3,600,302,20-2,400,30-1,10-0,200,00-1,000,300,80-2,60-7,00
1.0252120233,30-3,90-0,300,80-2,500,304,101,50