TAA.For The Masses
Strategy Library
Ensembles & templatesby Ensemble template

GEM Lookback Ensemble

Dual momentum run at every lookback from 1 to 12 months.

Holding now

Signal from Aug 2026 close
  • VEU58%
  • SPY42%
  • VEUIntl ex-US58.3%
  • SPYS&P 50041.7%

Trailing returns

Through Sep 25, 2026 · 3Y+ annualised

1M

-0.1%

YTD

+11.2%

1Y

+15.2%

3Y

+17.8%

5Y

+8.9%

10Y

+8.9%

Growth of $100

Backtest from Aug 1, 2002 to Sep 25, 2026 (24.0 years)

GEM Lookback Ensemble+825%
60/40+598%
S&P 500+1206%

Growth of $100, rebased to the start of the selected range. Month-end prices, dividends reinvested, no taxes or trading costs.

Risk & return, full backtest

CAGR

+9.8%

Volatility

12.5%

Max drawdown

-21.9%

Sharpe

0.68

Sortino

0.95

Calmar

0.45

Best year

+35.8%

Worst year

-17.8%

Drawdowns

Percent below the prior peak, vs the S&P 500

Calendar-year returns

Faded bars are partial years · 67% of months positive

Strategy Lab

Stress-test the implementation: trade on the signal day's close or later, split the portfolio into tranches that rebalance on different days (reduces timing luck), or swap a fund for a same-asset-class alternative.

The idea

Instead of betting on the 12-month lookback, run GEM twelve times with lookbacks of 1 through 12 months and average the positions. The result changes gradually rather than flipping all at once, and no single parameter choice dominates.

The rules

  1. 1Run GEM with each lookback L = 1, 2, … 12 months.
  2. 2Hold the average of the twelve resulting positions.

Funds used

  • BIL T-Bills
  • BND US Aggregate Bonds
  • SPY S&P 500
  • VEU Intl ex-US

Early history uses proxy funds: AGG, EFA, IEF, SHY.

Recent allocations

Decided at each month-end, held the following month

  • Aug 2026
  • Jul 2026
  • Jun 2026
  • May 2026
  • Apr 2026
  • Mar 2026
  • Feb 2026
  • Jan 2026
  • Dec 2025
  • Nov 2025
  • Oct 2025
  • Sep 2025

More ensembles & templates