The Russell (DMS)
The Russell (DMS) is a tactical asset allocation strategy reviewed on a monthly cadence. Its hypothetical backtest runs through 2026-07-24. 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
- 2026-07-24
- 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. If IWB score >= BIL → RISK-ON: pick best of IWB, IWP, IWS by DMS score 2. If IWB score < 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 2026-07-24. 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.
The Russell (DMS) at a glance
The Russell (DMS) is a tactical asset allocation (TAA) strategy by Randy Harris across US Equity, US Midcap Growth, US Midcap Value, Long-Term Treasuries, rebalanced monthly. Backtested 1985-08-30 to 2026-07-24 (40.8 years): 13.0% CAGR, 1.03 Sharpe, -39.3% max drawdown, 17.2% volatility.
- Type
- Tactical (TAA)
- Author
- Randy Harris
- Rebalancing
- Monthly
- Risk
- Moderate
- Period
- 1985-08-30 to 2026-07-24
- CAGR
- 13.0%
- Sharpe
- 1.03
- Max Drawdown
- -39.3%
- Volatility
- 17.2%
The Russell (DMS) — Tactical Asset Allocation Strategy
The Russell rotates among three Russell-index ETFs, IWB (Russell 1000), IWP (Russell Midcap Growth), and IWS (Russell Midcap Value), during risk-on periods, picking the one with the highest DMS momentum score.
The Russell (DMS): frequently asked questions
- What is The Russell (DMS)?
- Russell-style momentum rotation comparing large/mid/small cap equities by composite 1/3/6-month score vs T-bills. Risk-off uses a Treasury Duration Limiter that dynamically selects long or short bonds based on TLT momentum. Monthly rebalancing.
- Who created the The Russell (DMS) strategy?
- The Russell (DMS) was developed by Randy Harris.
- What is the historical return and maximum drawdown of The Russell (DMS)?
- Backtested from 1985-08-30 to 2026-07-24, The Russell (DMS) returned 13.0% CAGR with a -39.3% maximum drawdown and a Sharpe ratio of 1.03. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
- How often is The Russell (DMS) rebalanced?
- The Russell (DMS) is rebalanced monthly. BestFolio publishes the updated allocation signal each period.
- Is The Russell (DMS) a tactical asset allocation strategy?
- Yes. The Russell (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 (1985-08-30 to 2026-07-24)
| Metric | The Russell (DMS) |
|---|---|
| CAGR | 13.0% |
| Max Drawdown | -39.3% |
| Sharpe | 1.03 |
| Sortino | 1.37 |
| Volatility | 17.2% |
| Calmar | 0.33 |
| Total Return | 14679.9% |
| Backtest Period | 40.8 years |
Strategy Details
- Type
- Tactical (TAA)
- Rebalancing
- monthly
- Risk Level
- moderate
- Variants
- 1
- Author
- Randy Harris
Asset Classes
- US Equity
- US Midcap Growth
- US Midcap Value
- Long-Term Treasuries
- Short-Term Treasuries
Categories
Further reading
New to this approach? Read what tactical asset allocation is and how it works.
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