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Pragmatic Asset Allocation

Pragmatic Asset Allocation 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 2024-01 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 2024-01 publication or construction boundary separates pre-publication simulation from later market observations under fixed rules; all returns remain hypothetical.
Rule / approach
1. Score 7 assets by avg(1m, 3m, 6m, 12m returns), select top 3 2. Equal-weight at 33.3% each 3. If any selected has negative momentum → replace with BIL
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.

Pragmatic Asset Allocation at a glance

Pragmatic Asset Allocation is a tactical asset allocation (TAA) strategy by Radovan Vojtko et al. (Quantpedia) across US Equity, International Equity, Emerging Markets, REITs, rebalanced monthly. Backtested 1986-02-28 to 2026-07-23 (40.3 years): 13.3% CAGR, 1.16 Sharpe, -22.5% max drawdown, 11.4% volatility.

Type
Tactical (TAA)
Author
Radovan Vojtko et al. (Quantpedia)
Rebalancing
Monthly
Risk
Moderate
Period
1986-02-28 to 2026-07-23
CAGR
13.3%
Sharpe
1.16
Max Drawdown
-22.5%
Volatility
11.4%

Pragmatic Asset Allocation Tactical Asset Allocation Strategy

Pragmatic Asset Allocation by Radovan Vojtko of Quantpedia. Ranks 7 assets by composite momentum (avg 1/3/6/12-month returns), selects top 3 at equal weight, applies absolute momentum filter (negative momentum → BIL).

Pragmatic Asset Allocation: frequently asked questions

What is Pragmatic Asset Allocation?
Ranks 7 diversified ETFs by composite momentum (average of 1/3/6/12-month returns). Top 3 with positive momentum are held equal-weighted; negative-momentum slots rotate to cash. Straightforward multi-asset momentum. Monthly rebalancing.
Who created the Pragmatic Asset Allocation strategy?
Pragmatic Asset Allocation was developed by Radovan Vojtko et al. (Quantpedia). It is based on Vojtko, R. Pragmatic Asset Allocation. Quantpedia.
What is the historical return and maximum drawdown of Pragmatic Asset Allocation?
Backtested from 1986-02-28 to 2026-07-23, Pragmatic Asset Allocation returned 13.3% CAGR with a -22.5% maximum drawdown and a Sharpe ratio of 1.16. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
How often is Pragmatic Asset Allocation rebalanced?
Pragmatic Asset Allocation is rebalanced monthly. BestFolio publishes the updated allocation signal each period.
Is Pragmatic Asset Allocation a tactical asset allocation strategy?
Yes. Pragmatic Asset Allocation 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)

MetricPragmatic Asset Allocation
CAGR13.3%
Max Drawdown-22.5%
Sharpe1.16
Sortino1.72
Volatility11.4%
Calmar0.59
Total Return15299.1%
Backtest Period40.3 years

Strategy Details

Type
Tactical (TAA)
Rebalancing
monthly
Risk Level
moderate
Variants
1
Author
Radovan Vojtko et al. (Quantpedia)
Source
Vojtko, R. Pragmatic Asset Allocation. Quantpedia

Asset Classes

  • US Equity
  • International Equity
  • Emerging Markets
  • REITs
  • Gold
  • Commodities
  • Long Treasuries
  • Cash

Categories

Further reading

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

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