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Robust Asset Allocation

Robust Asset Allocation is a tactical asset allocation strategy reviewed on a monthly cadence. Its hypothetical backtest runs through 2026-08-19. BestFolio supplies the public rule or approach and backtest context; current signals, allocations, and paid interactive data remain restricted to Pro access. The recorded 2014-12-02 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
2026-08-19
History boundary
The recorded 2014-12-02 publication or construction boundary separates pre-publication simulation from later market observations under fixed rules; all returns remain hypothetical.
Rule / approach
1. Universe: 5 risky (VTI, VEU, VNQ, DBC, GLD) + 5 safe (IEF, TLT, TIP, AGG, SHY) 2. Compute 12-month total return for all assets 3. For each risky asset: if 12m return > 0 → hold it (20% slot) 4. If 12m return < 0 → replace that 20% slot…
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 2026-08-19. A run timestamp is not exposed here, so no stronger freshness claim is made.
Next expected action
First trading day of September; scheduled 2026-09-01 at 09:30 ET. Review the published signal before placing any trade.

Robust Asset Allocation at a glance

Robust Asset Allocation is a tactical asset allocation (TAA) strategy by Wes Gray (Alpha Architect) across US Equity, International Equity, REITs, Commodities, rebalanced monthly. Backtested 1986-02-28 to 2026-08-19 (40.3 years): 9.3% CAGR, 1.02 Sharpe, -22.0% max drawdown, 9.3% volatility.

Type
Tactical (TAA)
Author
Wes Gray (Alpha Architect)
Rebalancing
Monthly
Risk
Moderate
Period
1986-02-28 to 2026-08-19
CAGR
9.3%
Sharpe
1.02
Max Drawdown
-22.0%
Volatility
9.3%

Robust Asset Allocation Tactical Asset Allocation Strategy

Robust Asset Allocation by Wes Gray of Alpha Architect applies absolute momentum as a binary filter across five risky asset classes, with a best-safe-asset replacement mechanism for failing assets.

Each risky asset gets an equal 20% slot. If its 12-month return is positive, it is held. If negative, that 20% slot is replaced by the single best-performing safe asset. An optional aggressive variant adds a second filter: a risky asset is only replaced if its 12-month return is negative AND its price is below the 12-month SMA.

Robust Asset Allocation: frequently asked questions

What is Robust Asset Allocation?
Five-asset equal-weight allocation (US/intl stocks, REITs, commodities, gold) with absolute momentum filter. Any asset with negative 12-month return is replaced by the best-performing safe bond ETF. Monthly rebalancing.
Who created the Robust Asset Allocation strategy?
Robust Asset Allocation was developed by Wes Gray (Alpha Architect). It is based on Gray, W. (Alpha Architect). Robust Asset Allocation.
What is the historical return and maximum drawdown of Robust Asset Allocation?
Backtested from 1986-02-28 to 2026-08-19, Robust Asset Allocation returned 9.3% CAGR with a -22.0% maximum drawdown and a Sharpe ratio of 1.02. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
How often is Robust Asset Allocation rebalanced?
Robust Asset Allocation is rebalanced monthly. BestFolio publishes the updated allocation signal each period.
Is Robust Asset Allocation a tactical asset allocation strategy?
Yes. Robust 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 2026-08-19)

MetricRobust Asset Allocation
CAGR9.3%
Max Drawdown-22.0%
Sharpe1.02
Sortino1.41
Volatility9.3%
Calmar0.42
Total Return3501.9%
Backtest Period40.3 years

Strategy Details

Type
Tactical (TAA)
Rebalancing
monthly
Risk Level
moderate
Variants
2
Author
Wes Gray (Alpha Architect)
Source
Gray, W. (Alpha Architect). Robust Asset Allocation

Asset Classes

  • US Equity
  • International Equity
  • REITs
  • Commodities
  • Gold
  • Bonds

Categories

Further reading

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

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