NASDAQ 100 Low Volatility Sub-strategy

TotalReturn:

'Total return is the amount of value an investor earns from a security over a specific period, typically one year, when all distributions are reinvested. Total return is expressed as a percentage of the amount invested. For example, a total return of 20% means the security increased by 20% of its original value due to a price increase, distribution of dividends (if a stock), coupons (if a bond) or capital gains (if a fund). Total return is a strong measure of an investment’s overall performance.'

• The total return, or increase in value over 5 years of NASDAQ 100 Low Volatility Sub-strategy is 37.4%, which is lower, thus worse compared to the benchmark QQQ (87.1%) in the same period.
• During the last 3 years, the total return, or increase in value is 3.4%, which is smaller, thus worse than the value of 87.8% from the benchmark.

CAGR:

'The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is a useful measure of growth over multiple time periods. It can be thought of as the growth rate that gets you from the initial investment value to the ending investment value if you assume that the investment has been compounding over the time period.'

• Compared with the benchmark QQQ (13.4%) in the period of the last 5 years, the annual performance (CAGR) of 6.6% of NASDAQ 100 Low Volatility Sub-strategy is smaller, thus worse.
• Compared with QQQ (23.5%) in the period of the last 3 years, the annual return (CAGR) of 1.1% is lower, thus worse.

Volatility:

'Volatility is a statistical measure of the dispersion of returns for a given security or market index. Volatility can either be measured by using the standard deviation or variance between returns from that same security or market index. Commonly, the higher the volatility, the riskier the security. In the securities markets, volatility is often associated with big swings in either direction. For example, when the stock market rises and falls more than one percent over a sustained period of time, it is called a 'volatile' market.'

• The volatility over 5 years of NASDAQ 100 Low Volatility Sub-strategy is 14%, which is lower, thus better compared to the benchmark QQQ (22.3%) in the same period.
• During the last 3 years, the 30 days standard deviation is 13.7%, which is lower, thus better than the value of 19.5% from the benchmark.

DownVol:

'Downside risk is the financial risk associated with losses. That is, it is the risk of the actual return being below the expected return, or the uncertainty about the magnitude of that difference. Risk measures typically quantify the downside risk, whereas the standard deviation (an example of a deviation risk measure) measures both the upside and downside risk. Specifically, downside risk in our definition is the semi-deviation, that is the standard deviation of all negative returns.'

• The downside risk over 5 years of NASDAQ 100 Low Volatility Sub-strategy is 9.8%, which is lower, thus better compared to the benchmark QQQ (15.5%) in the same period.
• Looking at downside deviation in of 9.7% in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively smaller, thus better in comparison to QQQ (13.2%).

Sharpe:

'The Sharpe ratio is the measure of risk-adjusted return of a financial portfolio. Sharpe ratio is a measure of excess portfolio return over the risk-free rate relative to its standard deviation. Normally, the 90-day Treasury bill rate is taken as the proxy for risk-free rate. A portfolio with a higher Sharpe ratio is considered superior relative to its peers. The measure was named after William F Sharpe, a Nobel laureate and professor of finance, emeritus at Stanford University.'

• Compared with the benchmark QQQ (0.49) in the period of the last 5 years, the risk / return profile (Sharpe) of 0.29 of NASDAQ 100 Low Volatility Sub-strategy is smaller, thus worse.
• Compared with QQQ (1.07) in the period of the last 3 years, the risk / return profile (Sharpe) of -0.1 is smaller, thus worse.

Sortino:

'The Sortino ratio measures the risk-adjusted return of an investment asset, portfolio, or strategy. It is a modification of the Sharpe ratio but penalizes only those returns falling below a user-specified target or required rate of return, while the Sharpe ratio penalizes both upside and downside volatility equally. Though both ratios measure an investment's risk-adjusted return, they do so in significantly different ways that will frequently lead to differing conclusions as to the true nature of the investment's return-generating efficiency. The Sortino ratio is used as a way to compare the risk-adjusted performance of programs with differing risk and return profiles. In general, risk-adjusted returns seek to normalize the risk across programs and then see which has the higher return unit per risk.'

• Compared with the benchmark QQQ (0.7) in the period of the last 5 years, the downside risk / excess return profile of 0.41 of NASDAQ 100 Low Volatility Sub-strategy is smaller, thus worse.
• Looking at downside risk / excess return profile in of -0.14 in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively lower, thus worse in comparison to QQQ (1.58).

Ulcer:

'The Ulcer Index is a technical indicator that measures downside risk, in terms of both the depth and duration of price declines. The index increases in value as the price moves farther away from a recent high and falls as the price rises to new highs. The indicator is usually calculated over a 14-day period, with the Ulcer Index showing the percentage drawdown a trader can expect from the high over that period. The greater the value of the Ulcer Index, the longer it takes for a stock to get back to the former high.'

• Looking at the Downside risk index of 6.32 in the last 5 years of NASDAQ 100 Low Volatility Sub-strategy, we see it is relatively lower, thus better in comparison to the benchmark QQQ (14 )
• Compared with QQQ (4.77 ) in the period of the last 3 years, the Ulcer Index of 7.34 is higher, thus worse.

MaxDD:

'Maximum drawdown measures the loss in any losing period during a fund’s investment record. It is defined as the percent retrenchment from a fund’s peak value to the fund’s valley value. The drawdown is in effect from the time the fund’s retrenchment begins until a new fund high is reached. The maximum drawdown encompasses both the period from the fund’s peak to the fund’s valley (length), and the time from the fund’s valley to a new fund high (recovery). It measures the largest percentage drawdown that has occurred in any fund’s data record.'

• Compared with the benchmark QQQ (-35.1 days) in the period of the last 5 years, the maximum drop from peak to valley of -15.2 days of NASDAQ 100 Low Volatility Sub-strategy is larger, thus better.
• Looking at maximum reduction from previous high in of -15.2 days in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively larger, thus better in comparison to QQQ (-22.8 days).

MaxDuration:

'The Maximum Drawdown Duration is an extension of the Maximum Drawdown. However, this metric does not explain the drawdown in dollars or percentages, rather in days, weeks, or months. It is the length of time the account was in the Max Drawdown. A Max Drawdown measures a retrenchment from when an equity curve reaches a new high. It’s the maximum an account lost during that retrenchment. This method is applied because a valley can’t be measured until a new high occurs. Once the new high is reached, the percentage change from the old high to the bottom of the largest trough is recorded.'

• Compared with the benchmark QQQ (493 days) in the period of the last 5 years, the maximum days below previous high of 358 days of NASDAQ 100 Low Volatility Sub-strategy is smaller, thus better.
• Looking at maximum time in days below previous high water mark in of 358 days in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively larger, thus worse in comparison to QQQ (101 days).

AveDuration:

'The Drawdown Duration is the length of any peak to peak period, or the time between new equity highs. The Avg Drawdown Duration is the average amount of time an investment has seen between peaks (equity highs), or in other terms the average of time under water of all drawdowns. So in contrast to the Maximum duration it does not measure only one drawdown event but calculates the average of all.'

• Looking at the average days below previous high of 99 days in the last 5 years of NASDAQ 100 Low Volatility Sub-strategy, we see it is relatively lower, thus better in comparison to the benchmark QQQ (123 days)
• During the last 3 years, the average days below previous high is 142 days, which is higher, thus worse than the value of 29 days from the benchmark.