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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)

MetricThe Russell (DMS)
CAGR13.0%
Max Drawdown-39.3%
Sharpe1.03
Sortino1.37
Volatility17.2%
Calmar0.33
Total Return14679.9%
Backtest Period40.8 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

Further reading

New to this approach? Read what tactical asset allocation is and how it works.

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