Description

The World Country Top 4 Strategy is a momentum driven strategy that invests in the top four single country ETFs. It will add geographic diversity to your portfolio with significant non-U.S. equity exposure.

The strategy consists of four sub-strategies. Each sub-strategy invests in the best country ETF in a specific geographic area (i.e., Africa, Asia, Latin America, etc). These strategies are then combined to yield four country ETFs that come from different geographic segments, thus avoiding overconcentration. So even if one region is outperforming all the other areas, this strategy will still diversify among three additional top performing regions.

Like our other equity-based strategies, this strategy is hedged with a sub-strategy (HEDGE) that includes, amongst others, safe heaven assets like treasuries and gold.

Methodology & Assets

Country ETFs:

  • AFK Market Vectors Africa Index
  • ASHR Deutsche X-Trackers CSI 300 China A Shares
  • ECH iShares MSCI Chile Fund
  • EGPT Market Vectors Egypt Index
  • EIDO iShares MSCI Indonesia Index
  • EIRL iShares MSCI Ireland Capped
  • EIS iShares MSCI Israel
  • ENZL iShares MSCI New Zealand Investable Market
  • EPHE iShares MSCI Philippines
  • EPI WisdomTree India Earnings Index
  • EPOL iShares MSCI Poland Index
  • EPU iShares MSCI Peru 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
  • EWS iShares MSCI Singapore Index
  • EWT iShares MSCI Taiwan Index Fund
  • EWU iShares MSCI United Kingdom Index
  • EWW iShares MSCI Mexico Index Fund
  • EWY iShares MSCI South Korea Index Fund
  • EWZ iShares MSCI Brazil Index Fund
  • EZA iShares MSCI South Africa Index
  • FM iShares MSCI Frontier Markets ETF
  • FRN Guggenheim BNY Mellon Frontier Mkts
  • FXI iShares FTSE China 25 Index Fund
  • GAF SPDR S&P E.M. Middle East & Africa
  • GULF WisdomTree Middle East Dividend Index
  • GREK Global X FTSE Greece 20
  • GXG Global X Interbolsa FTSE Colombia 20
  • IDX Market Vectors Indonesia
  • MCHI iShares MSCI China Index
  • MES Market Vectors DJ Gulf States (GCC) Titans
  • NORW Global X FTSE Norway 30 ETF
  • QQQ PowerShares Nasdaq-100 Index
  • RSX Market Vectors DAXglobal Russia
  • THD iShares MSCI Thailand Index
  • TUR iShares MSCI Turkey
  • VNM Market Vectors Vietnam

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.'

Applying this definition to our asset in some examples:
  • Looking at the total return, or performance of 86% in the last 5 years of World Top 4 Strategy, we see it is relatively greater, thus better in comparison to the benchmark ACWI (66%)
  • During the last 3 years, the total return is 66.5%, which is lower, thus worse than the value of 73.1% from the benchmark.

CAGR:

'The compound annual growth rate isn't a true return rate, but rather a representational figure. It is essentially a number that describes the rate at which an investment would have grown if it had grown the same rate every year and the profits were reinvested at the end of each year. In reality, this sort of performance is unlikely. However, CAGR can be used to smooth returns so that they may be more easily understood when compared to alternative investments.'

Applying this definition to our asset in some examples:
  • Looking at the compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.3% in the last 5 years of World Top 4 Strategy, we see it is relatively larger, thus better in comparison to the benchmark ACWI (10.7%)
  • Looking at compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) in of 18.7% in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively lower, thus worse in comparison to ACWI (20.2%).

Volatility:

'In finance, volatility (symbol σ) is the degree of variation of a trading price series over time as measured by the standard deviation of logarithmic returns. Historic volatility measures a time series of past market prices. Implied volatility looks forward in time, being derived from the market price of a market-traded derivative (in particular, an option). Commonly, the higher the volatility, the riskier the security.'

Which means for our asset as example:
  • The 30 days standard deviation over 5 years of World Top 4 Strategy is 8.6%, which is lower, thus better compared to the benchmark ACWI (16.2%) in the same period.
  • Compared with ACWI (14.6%) in the period of the last 3 years, the volatility of 9.7% is smaller, thus better.

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.'

Which means for our asset as example:
  • Compared with the benchmark ACWI (11.2%) in the period of the last 5 years, the downside risk of 5.9% of World Top 4 Strategy is lower, thus better.
  • Looking at downside volatility in of 6.7% in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively lower, thus better in comparison to ACWI (9.8%).

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.'

Which means for our asset as example:
  • Looking at the ratio of return and volatility (Sharpe) of 1.26 in the last 5 years of World Top 4 Strategy, we see it is relatively larger, thus better in comparison to the benchmark ACWI (0.51)
  • Looking at Sharpe Ratio in of 1.66 in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively greater, thus better in comparison to ACWI (1.22).

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.'

Using this definition on our asset we see for example:
  • Looking at the excess return divided by the downside deviation of 1.84 in the last 5 years of World Top 4 Strategy, we see it is relatively higher, thus better in comparison to the benchmark ACWI (0.74)
  • Compared with ACWI (1.81) in the period of the last 3 years, the downside risk / excess return profile of 2.42 is greater, 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.'

Which means for our asset as example:
  • The Downside risk index over 5 years of World Top 4 Strategy is 2.88 , which is smaller, thus better compared to the benchmark ACWI (8.91 ) in the same period.
  • Looking at Ulcer Ratio in of 2.51 in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively lower, thus better in comparison to ACWI (2.88 ).

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.'

Using this definition on our asset we see for example:
  • The maximum drop from peak to valley over 5 years of World Top 4 Strategy is -9.6 days, which is larger, thus better compared to the benchmark ACWI (-26.4 days) in the same period.
  • Looking at maximum DrawDown in of -9.6 days in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively greater, thus better in comparison to ACWI (-16.5 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) in days.'

Using this definition on our asset we see for example:
  • Compared with the benchmark ACWI (516 days) in the period of the last 5 years, the maximum days below previous high of 247 days of World Top 4 Strategy is lower, thus better.
  • Compared with ACWI (62 days) in the period of the last 3 years, the maximum days under water of 130 days is higher, thus worse.

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:
  • Compared with the benchmark ACWI (126 days) in the period of the last 5 years, the average time in days below previous high water mark of 50 days of World Top 4 Strategy is smaller, thus better.
  • Looking at average days below previous high in of 28 days in the period of the last 3 years, we see it is relatively larger, thus worse in comparison to ACWI (13 days).

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 Top 4 Strategy 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.