LT Gain (DMS)
LT Gain (DMS) is a tactical asset allocation strategy reviewed on a monthly cadence. Its hypothetical backtest runs through 2026-07-23. BestFolio supplies the public rule or approach and backtest context; current signals, allocations, and paid interactive data remain restricted to Pro access. The recorded 2021 publication or construction boundary separates pre-publication simulation from later market observations under fixed rules; all returns remain hypothetical. Users review each scheduled signal and place any resulting trades in their own brokerage. BestFolio does not execute trades or provide personalized investment advice.
- Cadence
- Monthly
- Backtest data through
- 2026-07-23
- History boundary
- The recorded 2021 publication or construction boundary separates pre-publication simulation from later market observations under fixed rules; all returns remain hypothetical.
- Rule / approach
- 1. Compute DMS score for IWB and BIL 2. If IWB >= BIL → RISK-ON: IWB (or SSO/UPRO if Smart Leverage active, up to 12 months) 3. If IWB < BIL → RISK-OFF: TLT if fast score positive, else VGSH (sticky)
- BestFolio supplies
- the public rule or approach and backtest context; current signals, allocations, and paid interactive data remain restricted to Pro access
- Customer action
- Review each scheduled signal and place any required trades in your own brokerage; BestFolio does not execute orders.
- Costs and exclusions
- net of a modeled one-way transaction cost (10 bps, scaled up to 3x under stress); taxes, fund-expense drift, or market impact are not modeled
- Freshness
- The latest available backtest ends 2026-07-23. A run timestamp is not exposed here, so no stronger freshness claim is made.
- Next expected action
- First trading day of August; scheduled 2026-08-03 at 09:30 ET. Review the published signal before placing any trade.
LT Gain (DMS) at a glance
LT Gain (DMS) is a tactical asset allocation (TAA) strategy by Randy Harris across US Equity, Long-Term Treasuries, Short-Term Treasuries, rebalanced monthly. Backtested 1986-02-28 to 2026-07-23 (40.3 years): 15.0% CAGR, 0.93 Sharpe, -33.1% max drawdown, 19.6% volatility.
- Type
- Tactical (TAA)
- Author
- Randy Harris
- Rebalancing
- Monthly
- Risk
- Moderate
- Period
- 1986-02-28 to 2026-07-23
- CAGR
- 15.0%
- Sharpe
- 0.93
- Max Drawdown
- -33.1%
- Volatility
- 19.6%
LT Gain (DMS) — Tactical Asset Allocation Strategy
LT Gain is a US equity momentum strategy from Randy Harris's DMS. It rotates between US equities (IWB) and treasuries only. The LT Gain+ variant uses SSO (2x) and LT Gain++ uses UPRO (3x) for Smart Leverage after >15% drawdowns.
LT Gain (DMS): frequently asked questions
- What is LT Gain (DMS)?
- Single-asset momentum strategy comparing US large cap vs T-bills by composite 1/3/6-month score. Smart Leverage activates 2x/3x after 15% drawdowns. Risk-off uses Treasury Duration Limiter for bond selection. Monthly rebalancing.
- Who created the LT Gain (DMS) strategy?
- LT Gain (DMS) was developed by Randy Harris.
- What is the historical return and maximum drawdown of LT Gain (DMS)?
- Backtested from 1986-02-28 to 2026-07-23, LT Gain (DMS) returned 15.0% CAGR with a -33.1% maximum drawdown and a Sharpe ratio of 0.93. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
- How often is LT Gain (DMS) rebalanced?
- LT Gain (DMS) is rebalanced monthly. BestFolio publishes the updated allocation signal each period.
- Is LT Gain (DMS) a tactical asset allocation strategy?
- Yes. LT Gain (DMS) is a tactical asset allocation (TAA) strategy: it adjusts its holdings based on market signals each period rather than holding a fixed allocation.
Backtest Performance (1986-02-28 to 2026-07-23)
| Metric | LT Gain (DMS) |
|---|---|
| CAGR | 15.0% |
| Max Drawdown | -33.1% |
| Sharpe | 0.93 |
| Sortino | 1.33 |
| Volatility | 19.6% |
| Calmar | 0.45 |
| Total Return | 28172.8% |
| Backtest Period | 40.3 years |
Strategy Details
- Type
- Tactical (TAA)
- Rebalancing
- monthly
- Risk Level
- moderate
- Variants
- 2
- Author
- Randy Harris
Asset Classes
- US Equity
- Long-Term Treasuries
- Short-Term Treasuries
Categories
Further reading
New to this approach? Read what tactical asset allocation is and how it works.
Track LT Gain (DMS) in Your Portfolio
Sign up for BestFolio to get monthly rebalancing signals, blend strategies into custom portfolios, and receive alerts when allocations change.
Related strategies
- HAA (Hybrid Asset Allocation) by Wouter KellerSharpe 1.49
- DAA (Defensive Asset Allocation) by Wouter J. Keller & Jan Willem KeuningSharpe 1.32
- PAA (Protective Asset Allocation) by Wouter J. Keller & Jan Willem KeuningSharpe 1.29
- GPMv (DMS) by Randy Harris (DMS variant of Keller & Keuning's GPM)Sharpe 1.26