Description

The World Country Developed strategy is a sub-strategy that picks the top country of the specified region. It is part of the World Top 4 investment strategy.

Methodology & Assets

SPY SPDR S&P 500 ETF
DIA SPDR Dow Jones Industrial Average ETF
EIRL iShares MSCI Ireland Capped
EIS iShares MSCI Israel
ENZL iShares MSCI New Zealand Investable Market
EPOL iShares MSCI Poland Index
EWA iShares MSCI Australia Index Fund
EWC iShares MSCI Canada Index Fund
EWD iShares MSCI Sweden Index
EWG iShares MSCI Germany Index
EWH iShares MSCI Hong Kong Index Fund
EWI iShares MSCI Italy Index
EWJ iShares MSCI Japan Index Fund
EWK iShares MSCI Belgium Index
EWL iShares MSCI Switzerland
EWM iShares MSCI Malaysia Index Fund
EWN iShares MSCI Netherlands Index
EWO iShares MSCI Austria Index
EWP iShares MSCI Spain Index
EWQ iShares MSCI France
EWU iShares MSCI United Kingdom Index
NORW Global X FTSE Norway 30 ETF
QQQ PowerShares Nasdaq-100 Index

From the HEDGE strategy:
GLD – SPDR Gold Shares
TLT– iShares Barclays Long-Term Treasuries (15-18yr)

Short Sectors:

SMN - ProShares UltraShort Basic Materials
ERY - Direxion Daily Energy Bear 3X ETF
SKF - ProShares UltraShort Financials
SIJ - ProShares UltraShort Industrial
REW - ProShares UltraShort Technology
RXD - ProShares UltraShort Health Car
SCC - ProShares UltraShort Consumer Service
SDP - ProShares UltraShort Utilities
SZK - ProShares UltraShort Consumer Goods

Statistics (YTD)

What do these metrics mean? [Read More] [Hide]

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.'

Using this definition on our asset we see for example:
  • Looking at the total return, or increase in value of 212.3% in the last 5 years of World Countries Developed, we see it is relatively larger, thus better in comparison to the benchmark SPY (101.4%)
  • Looking at total return, or increase in value in of 63.8% in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively larger, thus better in comparison to SPY (32.9%).

CAGR:

'Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is a business and investing specific term for the geometric progression ratio that provides a constant rate of return over the time period. CAGR is not an accounting term, but it is often used to describe some element of the business, for example revenue, units delivered, registered users, etc. CAGR dampens the effect of volatility of periodic returns that can render arithmetic means irrelevant. It is particularly useful to compare growth rates from various data sets of common domain such as revenue growth of companies in the same industry.'

Applying this definition to our asset in some examples:
  • The annual performance (CAGR) over 5 years of World Countries Developed is 25.6%, which is higher, thus better compared to the benchmark SPY (15%) in the same period.
  • Compared with SPY (10%) in the period of the last 3 years, the annual performance (CAGR) of 17.9% is greater, thus better.

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.'

Applying this definition to our asset in some examples:
  • Compared with the benchmark SPY (20.9%) in the period of the last 5 years, the volatility of 22.2% of World Countries Developed is higher, thus worse.
  • Compared with SPY (17.3%) in the period of the last 3 years, the volatility of 18.3% is higher, thus worse.

DownVol:

'The downside volatility is similar to the volatility, or standard deviation, but only takes losing/negative periods into account.'

Which means for our asset as example:
  • Looking at the downside deviation of 15.4% in the last 5 years of World Countries Developed, we see it is relatively larger, thus worse in comparison to the benchmark SPY (15%)
  • During the last 3 years, the downside risk is 12.3%, which is greater, thus worse than the value of 12.1% from the benchmark.

Sharpe:

'The Sharpe ratio was developed by Nobel laureate William F. Sharpe, and is used to help investors understand the return of an investment compared to its risk. The ratio is the average return earned in excess of the risk-free rate per unit of volatility or total risk. Subtracting the risk-free rate from the mean return allows an investor to better isolate the profits associated with risk-taking activities. One intuition of this calculation is that a portfolio engaging in 'zero risk' investments, such as the purchase of U.S. Treasury bills (for which the expected return is the risk-free rate), has a Sharpe ratio of exactly zero. Generally, the greater the value of the Sharpe ratio, the more attractive the risk-adjusted return.'

Which means for our asset as example:
  • Looking at the ratio of return and volatility (Sharpe) of 1.04 in the last 5 years of World Countries Developed, we see it is relatively larger, thus better in comparison to the benchmark SPY (0.6)
  • Compared with SPY (0.43) in the period of the last 3 years, the Sharpe Ratio of 0.84 is larger, thus better.

Sortino:

'The Sortino ratio, a variation of the Sharpe ratio only factors in the downside, or negative volatility, rather than the total volatility used in calculating the Sharpe ratio. The theory behind the Sortino variation is that upside volatility is a plus for the investment, and it, therefore, should not be included in the risk calculation. Therefore, the Sortino ratio takes upside volatility out of the equation and uses only the downside standard deviation in its calculation instead of the total standard deviation that is used in calculating the Sharpe ratio.'

Which means for our asset as example:
  • Looking at the excess return divided by the downside deviation of 1.5 in the last 5 years of World Countries Developed, we see it is relatively larger, thus better in comparison to the benchmark SPY (0.84)
  • Compared with SPY (0.62) in the period of the last 3 years, the ratio of annual return and downside deviation of 1.25 is larger, thus better.

Ulcer:

'The ulcer index is a stock market risk measure or technical analysis indicator devised by Peter Martin in 1987, and published by him and Byron McCann in their 1989 book The Investors Guide to Fidelity Funds. It's designed as a measure of volatility, but only volatility in the downward direction, i.e. the amount of drawdown or retracement occurring over a period. Other volatility measures like standard deviation treat up and down movement equally, but a trader doesn't mind upward movement, it's the downside that causes stress and stomach ulcers that the index's name suggests.'

Applying this definition to our asset in some examples:
  • Looking at the Ulcer Index of 6.65 in the last 5 years of World Countries Developed, we see it is relatively lower, thus better in comparison to the benchmark SPY (9.32 )
  • Compared with SPY (10 ) in the period of the last 3 years, the Downside risk index of 6.65 is smaller, thus better.

MaxDD:

'Maximum drawdown is defined as the peak-to-trough decline of an investment during a specific period. It is usually quoted as a percentage of the peak value. The maximum drawdown can be calculated based on absolute returns, in order to identify strategies that suffer less during market downturns, such as low-volatility strategies. However, the maximum drawdown can also be calculated based on returns relative to a benchmark index, for identifying strategies that show steady outperformance over time.'

Which means for our asset as example:
  • Compared with the benchmark SPY (-33.7 days) in the period of the last 5 years, the maximum reduction from previous high of -28.6 days of World Countries Developed is larger, thus better.
  • Looking at maximum DrawDown in of -17.3 days in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively greater, thus better in comparison to SPY (-24.5 days).

MaxDuration:

'The Drawdown Duration is the length of any peak to peak period, or the time between new equity highs. The Max Drawdown Duration is the worst (the maximum/longest) amount of time an investment has seen between peaks (equity highs). Many assume Max DD Duration is the length of time between new highs during which the Max DD (magnitude) occurred. But that isn’t always the case. The Max DD duration is the longest time between peaks, period. So it could be the time when the program also had its biggest peak to valley loss (and usually is, because the program needs a long time to recover from the largest loss), but it doesn’t have to be'

Which means for our asset as example:
  • Compared with the benchmark SPY (488 days) in the period of the last 5 years, the maximum days under water of 263 days of World Countries Developed is smaller, thus better.
  • Compared with SPY (488 days) in the period of the last 3 years, the maximum days below previous high of 263 days is lower, thus better.

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.'

Which means for our asset as example:
  • Looking at the average days below previous high of 53 days in the last 5 years of World Countries Developed, we see it is relatively lower, thus better in comparison to the benchmark SPY (123 days)
  • Compared with SPY (180 days) in the period of the last 3 years, the average days under water of 66 days is lower, thus better.

Performance (YTD)

Historical returns have been extended using synthetic data.

Allocations ()

Allocations

Returns (%)

  • Note that yearly returns do not equal the sum of monthly returns due to compounding.
  • Performance results of World Countries Developed are hypothetical and do not account for slippage, fees or taxes.
  • Results may be based on backtesting, which has many inherent limitations, some of which are described in our Terms of Use.