Asset Allocation
| Position | Category/Sector | Target Weight |
|---|---|---|
VGIT Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF | Government Bonds | 60% |
VTI Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF | Large Cap Blend Equities | 30% |
IAU iShares Gold Trust | Gold, Precious Metals | 10% |
Benchmark: S&P 500 Index · Rebalance: Every 3 months
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Performance Chart
The chart shows the growth of an initial investment of $10,000 in Gyroscopic Investing Desert Portfolio, comparing it to the performance of the S&P 500 index or another benchmark. All prices have been adjusted for splits and dividends. The portfolio is rebalanced Every 3 months.
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Compare your portfolio against anything
Returns By Period
As of Aug 3, 2026, the Gyroscopic Investing Desert Portfolio returned 2.98% Year-To-Date and 6.50% of annualized return in the last 10 years.
| Position | 1D | 1M | 6M | YTD | 1Y | 3Y* | 5Y* | 10Y* | ALL TIME* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Benchmark S&P 500 Index | 1.48% | 1.57% | 8.95% | 11.03% | 21.84% | 19.28% | 11.54% | 13.29% | 8.11% |
Portfolio Gyroscopic Investing Desert Portfolio | 0.56% | -0.12% | 1.63% | 2.98% | 10.12% | 11.12% | 5.34% | 6.50% | 6.61% |
| Portfolio components: | |||||||||
IAU iShares Gold Trust | 0.03% | -1.70% | -13.00% | -6.14% | 20.38% | 27.49% | 17.16% | 11.45% | 10.71% |
VGIT Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF | 0.16% | -0.60% | -0.43% | -0.61% | 1.28% | 3.67% | -0.25% | 1.13% | 2.14% |
VTI Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF | 1.53% | 1.38% | 9.81% | 12.18% | 23.70% | 20.38% | 12.06% | 14.66% | 9.64% |
Monthly Returns
Based on dividend-adjusted daily data since Nov 23, 2009, Gyroscopic Investing Desert Portfolio's average daily return is +0.03%, while the average monthly return is +0.54%. At this rate, an investment would double in approximately 10.7 years.
Historically, 67% of months were positive and 33% were negative. The best month was Nov 2023 with a return of +4.9%, while the worst month was Sep 2022 at -5.1%. The longest winning streak lasted 11 consecutive months, and the longest losing streak was 4 months.
On a daily basis, Gyroscopic Investing Desert Portfolio closed higher 56% of trading days. The best single day was Nov 10, 2022 with a return of +3.0%, while the worst single day was Mar 12, 2020 at -2.9%.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1.67% | 1.80% | -3.71% | 2.95% | 1.53% | -1.20% | -0.51% | 0.56% | 2.98% | ||||
| 2025 | 1.93% | 0.76% | -0.40% | 1.10% | 1.35% | 2.33% | 0.37% | 2.13% | 2.39% | 1.36% | 1.10% | 0.09% | 15.46% |
| 2024 | 0.36% | 0.73% | 2.16% | -2.21% | 2.42% | 1.51% | 2.52% | 1.57% | 1.81% | -1.23% | 2.13% | -1.76% | 10.30% |
| 2023 | 4.08% | -2.73% | 3.44% | 0.85% | -0.64% | 1.11% | 1.28% | -0.81% | -2.95% | -0.57% | 4.89% | 3.31% | 11.46% |
| 2022 | -2.93% | -0.37% | -0.88% | -4.41% | 0.00% | -2.92% | 3.68% | -3.13% | -5.11% | 1.80% | 3.94% | -2.00% | -12.09% |
| 2021 | -0.69% | -0.50% | 0.34% | 2.28% | 1.10% | 0.09% | 1.48% | 0.67% | -2.27% | 1.71% | -0.27% | 1.26% | 5.26% |
Benchmark Metrics
Gyroscopic Investing Desert Portfolio has an annualized alpha of 3.15%, beta of 0.27, and R2 of 0.61 versus S&P 500 Index. Calculated based on daily prices since November 23, 2009.
- This portfolio participates in less of S&P 500 Index's moves in both directions, but captures a larger share of gains (33.54%) than losses (28.19%) - typical of diversified or defensive assets.
- This portfolio generated an annualized alpha of 3.15% versus S&P 500 Index - delivering returns beyond what market exposure alone would predict.
- Beta of 0.27 indicates this portfolio moves significantly less than S&P 500 Index - a genuinely defensive profile with reduced participation in both market rallies and downturns.
- Alpha
- 3.15%
- Beta
- 0.27
- R²
- 0.61
- Upside Capture
- 33.54%
- Downside Capture
- 28.19%
Expense Ratio
Gyroscopic Investing Desert Portfolio has an expense ratio of 0.05%, which is considered low. Below, you can find the expense ratios of the portfolio's funds side by side and easily compare their relative costs.
Return for Risk
Risk / Return Rank
Gyroscopic Investing Desert Portfolio ranks 39 for risk / return — above 39% of Portfolios peers on PortfoliosLab. Its historical combined result is below the peer median.
Risk / Return Metrics
The table below presents risk-adjusted performance metrics for Gyroscopic Investing Desert Portfolio and compares them with S&P 500 Index.
Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.
| Portfolio | Benchmark | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.55 | 1.71 | -0.16 |
| Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 2.16 | 2.36 | -0.21 |
| Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.29 | 1.31 | -0.02 |
| Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.97 | 2.41 | -0.44 |
| Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 7.67 | 10.22 | -2.55 |
How much return does each position deliver for the risk it carries? Higher values mean better reward for the risk taken.
| Position | Risk / Return Rank | Sharpe ratio | Sortino ratio | Omega ratio | Calmar ratio | Martin ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
IAU iShares Gold Trust | 28 | 0.74 | 1.08 | 1.16 | 0.78 | 1.67 |
VGIT Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF | 19 | 0.40 | 0.59 | 1.07 | 0.45 | 1.04 |
VTI Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF | 78 | 1.82 | 2.52 | 1.32 | 2.67 | 11.50 |
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Dividends
Dividend yield
Gyroscopic Investing Desert Portfolio provided a 2.65% dividend yield over the last twelve months.
| Position | TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio | 2.65% | 2.61% | 2.58% | 2.07% | 1.54% | 1.38% | 1.77% | 1.87% | 1.84% | 1.52% | 1.59% | 1.61% |
| Portfolio components: | ||||||||||||
IAU iShares Gold Trust | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
VGIT Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF | 3.90% | 3.79% | 3.67% | 2.73% | 1.74% | 1.69% | 2.23% | 2.24% | 2.05% | 1.67% | 1.69% | 1.69% |
VTI Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF | 1.04% | 1.12% | 1.27% | 1.44% | 1.66% | 1.21% | 1.42% | 1.78% | 2.04% | 1.71% | 1.92% | 1.98% |
Drawdowns
Drawdowns Chart
The Drawdowns chart displays portfolio losses from any high point along the way. Drawdowns are calculated considering price movements and all distributions paid, if any.
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Worst Drawdowns
The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the Gyroscopic Investing Desert Portfolio. A maximum drawdown is a measure of risk, indicating the largest reduction in portfolio value due to a series of losing trades.
The maximum drawdown for the Gyroscopic Investing Desert Portfolio was 16.15%, occurring on Oct 14, 2022. Recovery took 349 trading sessions.
The current Gyroscopic Investing Desert Portfolio drawdown is 1.70%.
Drawdown | Fall | Recovery | Underwater | Related event |
|---|---|---|---|---|
-16.15%Oct 2022 | 11mo 8d | 1y 4mo | 2y 3moNov 2021 - Mar 2024 | Bear market2022 |
-8.85%Mar 2020 | 26d | 1mo 12d | 2mo 8dFeb 2020 - Apr 2020 | COVID crash2020 |
-5.15%Mar 2026 | 25d | 1mo 10d | 2mo 5dMar 2026 - May 2026 | — |
-4.37%Apr 2025 | 1mo 17d | 20d | 2mo 7dFeb 2025 - Apr 2025 | 2025 selloff2025 |
-4.26%Dec 2018 | 3mo 26d | 1mo 7d | 5mo 3dAug 2018 - Jan 2019 | Rate-hike selloffLate 2018 |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
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Diversification
AI Analysis
The gist
The portfolio is a three-part argument for ballast: government bonds carry 60%, U.S. equities 30%, and gold 10%. The assets mostly move independently, which is the point of owning three things instead of one thing with three labels.
The numbers
- Diversification ratio is 1.37 over one year and 1.61 since inception, ranking from the 57th to 85th percentile on the platform.
- Average pairwise correlation is just 0.05, with Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI) and Vanguard Intermediate-Term Treasury ETF (VGIT) at -0.21.
- Effective asset count is 2.17 of 3: broadly spread, though the bond allocation still does most of the portfolio’s economic work.
The good
- VGIT, VTI, and iShares Gold Trust (IAU) form three distinct clusters, rather than one equity trade wearing different costumes.
- The long-term diversification benefit is meaningful and has held up better than the recent one-year figure.
The bad
- VTI has the highest portfolio correlation at 0.76, so equity stress remains the portfolio’s clearest common shock.
The ugly
- A sharp rise in real yields could pressure VGIT and IAU together, removing two diversifiers at once.
Next steps
- Portfolios with this structure could examine whether their intended ballast is nominal-rate risk, inflation protection, or both.
Diversification Metrics
Number of Effective Assets
The portfolio contains 3 assets, with an effective number of assets of 2.17, reflecting the diversification based on asset allocation. Your capital is well-distributed across most of your holdings, with only mild concentration in a few names. True diversification also depends on the correlations between assets — check the diversification ratio below.
Diversification Ratio
1Y | 3Y | 5Y | 10Y | All Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Diversification Ratio | 1.35 | 1.47 | 1.45 | 1.51 | 1.61 |
The portfolio has a diversification ratio of 1.61, in line with the typical range across portfolios.
Gyroscopic Investing Desert Portfolio correlation to the S&P 500 Index
| Correlation | |
|---|---|
Correlation (1Y) Focuses on recent behavior, but can change the most. | 0.82 |
Correlation (3Y) Balances recent behavior with more history. | 0.77 |
Correlation (5Y) Shows whether the relationship held over a longer period. | 0.77 |
Correlation (10Y) Provides a long-term view across more market conditions. | 0.77 |
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Nov 23, 2009 | 0.75 |
Benchmark Correlations
Correlation vs. S&P 500 Index. VTI has the highest benchmark correlation at 0.99, while VGIT has the lowest at -0.21.
Asset Correlations Table
Find what Gyroscopic Investing Desert Portfolio is missing
See which holdings overlap, where Gyroscopic Investing Desert Portfolio is concentrated, and which low-correlation assets could fill the gaps.
Analyze Diversification