Merrill Aggressive
Asset Allocation
Performance
Performance Chart
The chart shows the growth of an initial investment of $10,000 in Merrill Aggressive, 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.
The earliest data available for this chart is Jun 4, 2013, corresponding to the inception date of BNDX
Returns By Period
As of Apr 25, 2025, the Merrill Aggressive returned -4.92% Year-To-Date and 9.18% of annualized return in the last 10 years.
| YTD | 1M | 6M | 1Y | 5Y* | 10Y* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
^GSPC S&P 500 | -6.06% | -3.27% | -4.87% | 9.44% | 14.30% | 10.11% |
| Merrill Aggressive | -4.21% | -2.15% | -2.92% | 10.99% | 13.34% | 9.25% |
| Portfolio components: | ||||||
VUG Vanguard Growth ETF | -8.15% | -1.58% | -3.83% | 14.94% | 17.28% | 14.23% |
VEU Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US ETF | 8.08% | 0.37% | 3.83% | 11.59% | 11.05% | 4.86% |
VTV Vanguard Value ETF | -2.12% | -4.89% | -4.01% | 6.72% | 14.20% | 9.56% |
EEM iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | 3.90% | -2.10% | -2.08% | 9.31% | 6.39% | 2.09% |
IJS iShares S&P SmallCap 600 Value ETF | -15.52% | -8.46% | -12.87% | -3.70% | 13.68% | 5.95% |
IJT iShares S&P SmallCap 600 Growth ETF | -10.63% | -4.74% | -10.86% | -2.40% | 11.81% | 7.38% |
IEI iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 3.41% | 1.26% | 2.86% | 7.89% | -0.53% | 1.30% |
LQD iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF | 2.22% | 0.41% | 0.97% | 7.75% | -0.29% | 2.29% |
MBB iShares MBS Bond ETF | 2.82% | 0.52% | 2.23% | 8.55% | -0.76% | 0.97% |
BIL SPDR Barclays 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF | 1.33% | 0.37% | 2.17% | 4.82% | 2.54% | 1.75% |
BNDX Vanguard Total International Bond ETF | 1.38% | 1.87% | 1.95% | 6.72% | 0.16% | 1.85% |
HYG iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF | 1.57% | 0.08% | 2.26% | 9.38% | 5.52% | 3.88% |
Monthly Returns
The table below presents the monthly returns of Merrill Aggressive, with color gradation from worst to best to easily spot seasonal factors. Returns are adjusted for dividends.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.56% | -1.34% | -5.13% | -0.22% | -4.21% | ||||||||
| 2024 | 0.56% | 4.84% | 2.53% | -3.68% | 4.73% | 3.36% | 1.11% | 2.08% | 2.19% | -1.41% | 5.19% | -2.03% | 20.76% |
| 2023 | 7.57% | -2.66% | 3.64% | 0.95% | 0.62% | 5.82% | 3.44% | -2.21% | -4.53% | -2.41% | 9.18% | 4.93% | 25.96% |
| 2022 | -5.73% | -3.02% | 2.00% | -8.97% | -0.21% | -7.53% | 8.14% | -4.05% | -9.21% | 5.54% | 6.43% | -5.32% | -21.53% |
| 2021 | -0.04% | 1.99% | 2.41% | 4.35% | 0.60% | 2.52% | 1.01% | 2.54% | -4.18% | 5.57% | -1.18% | 2.90% | 19.71% |
| 2020 | -0.34% | -6.39% | -12.17% | 10.70% | 4.80% | 3.22% | 5.49% | 6.28% | -3.16% | -1.82% | 10.51% | 4.30% | 20.55% |
| 2019 | 7.68% | 2.43% | 1.48% | 3.39% | -5.60% | 6.10% | 0.69% | -1.54% | 1.55% | 2.38% | 2.64% | 3.08% | 26.39% |
| 2018 | 5.09% | -3.74% | -1.26% | 0.07% | 1.63% | -0.16% | 2.90% | 1.87% | 0.07% | -7.28% | 1.63% | -6.87% | -6.64% |
| 2017 | 2.41% | 2.79% | 0.99% | 1.42% | 1.66% | 0.57% | 2.35% | 0.50% | 1.78% | 2.05% | 1.89% | 1.31% | 21.56% |
| 2016 | -4.63% | -0.44% | 6.81% | 0.61% | 0.75% | 0.47% | 3.71% | 0.30% | 0.62% | -1.87% | 1.52% | 1.60% | 9.41% |
| 2015 | -1.34% | 4.82% | -1.80% | 2.40% | 0.23% | -1.83% | 0.78% | -5.78% | -2.57% | 6.62% | -0.13% | -2.16% | -1.38% |
| 2014 | -3.63% | 4.29% | 0.43% | 0.46% | 2.16% | 1.96% | -1.33% | 2.97% | -2.91% | 2.02% | 1.35% | -1.15% | 6.51% |
Expense Ratio
Merrill Aggressive has an expense ratio of 0.13%, 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.
Risk-Adjusted Performance
Risk-Adjusted Performance Rank
The current rank of Merrill Aggressive is 51, indicating average performance compared to other portfolios on our website. Here’s a breakdown of how it compares using common performance measures.
Risk-Adjusted Performance Indicators
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for positions. Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
| Sharpe ratio | Sortino ratio | Omega ratio | Calmar ratio | Martin ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
VUG Vanguard Growth ETF | 0.57 | 0.95 | 1.13 | 0.62 | 2.22 |
VEU Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US ETF | 0.66 | 1.05 | 1.14 | 0.82 | 2.57 |
VTV Vanguard Value ETF | 0.43 | 0.70 | 1.10 | 0.46 | 1.79 |
EEM iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | 0.52 | 0.87 | 1.11 | 0.37 | 1.64 |
IJS iShares S&P SmallCap 600 Value ETF | -0.21 | -0.14 | 0.98 | -0.18 | -0.58 |
IJT iShares S&P SmallCap 600 Growth ETF | -0.12 | -0.01 | 1.00 | -0.11 | -0.33 |
IEI iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 1.86 | 2.87 | 1.35 | 0.71 | 4.59 |
LQD iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF | 0.93 | 1.34 | 1.16 | 0.45 | 2.63 |
MBB iShares MBS Bond ETF | 1.31 | 1.94 | 1.23 | 0.62 | 3.48 |
BIL SPDR Barclays 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF | 20.50 | 251.65 | 146.29 | 445.64 | 4,090.73 |
BNDX Vanguard Total International Bond ETF | 1.64 | 2.38 | 1.29 | 0.69 | 7.43 |
HYG iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF | 1.55 | 2.30 | 1.33 | 1.95 | 10.43 |
Dividends
Dividend yield
Merrill Aggressive provided a 2.19% dividend yield over the last twelve months.
| TTM | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portfolio | 2.19% | 2.22% | 2.22% | 2.00% | 1.67% | 1.57% | 2.17% | 2.31% | 1.92% | 2.08% | 2.16% | 2.10% |
| Portfolio components: | ||||||||||||
VUG Vanguard Growth ETF | 0.52% | 0.47% | 0.58% | 0.70% | 0.48% | 0.66% | 0.95% | 1.32% | 1.14% | 1.39% | 1.30% | 1.21% |
VEU Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US ETF | 2.97% | 3.24% | 3.32% | 3.12% | 3.07% | 2.00% | 3.10% | 3.27% | 2.66% | 2.96% | 2.95% | 3.52% |
VTV Vanguard Value ETF | 2.38% | 2.31% | 2.46% | 2.52% | 2.15% | 2.56% | 2.50% | 2.73% | 2.29% | 2.44% | 2.60% | 2.22% |
EEM iShares MSCI Emerging Markets ETF | 2.34% | 2.43% | 2.63% | 2.50% | 1.99% | 1.45% | 2.76% | 2.24% | 1.89% | 1.89% | 2.49% | 2.23% |
IJS iShares S&P SmallCap 600 Value ETF | 2.11% | 1.78% | 1.42% | 1.46% | 1.52% | 1.00% | 1.66% | 1.75% | 1.41% | 1.22% | 1.59% | 1.41% |
IJT iShares S&P SmallCap 600 Growth ETF | 1.22% | 1.06% | 1.02% | 1.08% | 0.63% | 0.68% | 0.92% | 0.92% | 0.86% | 1.03% | 1.14% | 0.78% |
IEI iShares 3-7 Year Treasury Bond ETF | 3.19% | 3.18% | 2.36% | 1.37% | 0.73% | 1.12% | 2.01% | 1.95% | 1.51% | 1.33% | 1.39% | 1.23% |
LQD iShares iBoxx $ Investment Grade Corporate Bond ETF | 4.42% | 4.45% | 3.99% | 3.30% | 2.30% | 2.66% | 3.29% | 3.67% | 3.10% | 3.34% | 3.47% | 3.39% |
MBB iShares MBS Bond ETF | 4.00% | 3.94% | 3.40% | 2.31% | 1.05% | 2.10% | 2.77% | 2.64% | 2.23% | 2.58% | 2.66% | 1.72% |
BIL SPDR Barclays 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF | 4.76% | 5.03% | 4.92% | 1.35% | 0.00% | 0.30% | 2.05% | 1.66% | 0.68% | 0.07% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
BNDX Vanguard Total International Bond ETF | 4.24% | 4.18% | 4.42% | 1.52% | 3.74% | 1.11% | 3.40% | 3.01% | 2.23% | 1.89% | 1.63% | 1.54% |
HYG iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond ETF | 5.87% | 6.01% | 5.74% | 5.30% | 4.02% | 4.88% | 4.99% | 5.54% | 5.12% | 5.27% | 5.90% | 5.69% |
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.
Worst Drawdowns
The table below displays the maximum drawdowns of the Merrill Aggressive. 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 Merrill Aggressive was 30.55%, occurring on Mar 23, 2020. Recovery took 92 trading sessions.
The current Merrill Aggressive drawdown is 9.09%.
Depth | Start | To Bottom | Bottom | To Recover | End | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -30.55% | Feb 20, 2020 | 23 | Mar 23, 2020 | 92 | Aug 3, 2020 | 115 |
| -27.23% | Dec 28, 2021 | 202 | Oct 14, 2022 | 322 | Jan 29, 2024 | 524 |
| -17.88% | Feb 20, 2025 | 34 | Apr 8, 2025 | — | — | — |
| -17% | Aug 30, 2018 | 80 | Dec 24, 2018 | 75 | Apr 12, 2019 | 155 |
| -15.67% | Apr 27, 2015 | 202 | Feb 11, 2016 | 122 | Aug 5, 2016 | 324 |
Volatility
Volatility Chart
The current Merrill Aggressive volatility is 13.13%, representing the average percentage change in the investments's value, either up or down over the past month. The chart below shows the rolling one-month volatility.
Diversification
Diversification Metrics
Number of Effective Assets
The portfolio contains 12 assets, with an effective number of assets of 5.56, reflecting the diversification based on asset allocation. This number of effective assets indicates a moderate level of diversification, where some assets may have a more significant influence on overall performance.
Asset Correlations Table
| ^GSPC | BIL | BNDX | MBB | IEI | LQD | EEM | IJS | HYG | VUG | IJT | VTV | VEU | Portfolio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ^GSPC | 1.00 | 0.01 | -0.01 | -0.01 | -0.15 | 0.15 | 0.69 | 0.76 | 0.72 | 0.94 | 0.82 | 0.88 | 0.80 | 0.98 |
| BIL | 0.01 | 1.00 | 0.02 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 0.02 | 0.02 | -0.01 | 0.02 | 0.00 | -0.02 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.01 |
| BNDX | -0.01 | 0.02 | 1.00 | 0.63 | 0.68 | 0.67 | 0.00 | -0.05 | 0.19 | 0.03 | -0.02 | -0.05 | 0.01 | 0.03 |
| MBB | -0.01 | 0.05 | 0.63 | 1.00 | 0.85 | 0.78 | 0.04 | -0.02 | 0.23 | 0.02 | -0.02 | -0.04 | 0.05 | 0.04 |
| IEI | -0.15 | 0.03 | 0.68 | 0.85 | 1.00 | 0.77 | -0.08 | -0.16 | 0.11 | -0.10 | -0.15 | -0.19 | -0.08 | -0.10 |
| LQD | 0.15 | 0.02 | 0.67 | 0.78 | 0.77 | 1.00 | 0.15 | 0.09 | 0.39 | 0.17 | 0.11 | 0.09 | 0.17 | 0.20 |
| EEM | 0.69 | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.04 | -0.08 | 0.15 | 1.00 | 0.57 | 0.60 | 0.66 | 0.59 | 0.63 | 0.88 | 0.78 |
| IJS | 0.76 | -0.01 | -0.05 | -0.02 | -0.16 | 0.09 | 0.57 | 1.00 | 0.62 | 0.64 | 0.93 | 0.83 | 0.69 | 0.76 |
| HYG | 0.72 | 0.02 | 0.19 | 0.23 | 0.11 | 0.39 | 0.60 | 0.62 | 1.00 | 0.68 | 0.65 | 0.66 | 0.69 | 0.75 |
| VUG | 0.94 | 0.00 | 0.03 | 0.02 | -0.10 | 0.17 | 0.66 | 0.64 | 0.68 | 1.00 | 0.75 | 0.71 | 0.74 | 0.95 |
| IJT | 0.82 | -0.02 | -0.02 | -0.02 | -0.15 | 0.11 | 0.59 | 0.93 | 0.65 | 0.75 | 1.00 | 0.81 | 0.71 | 0.83 |
| VTV | 0.88 | 0.01 | -0.05 | -0.04 | -0.19 | 0.09 | 0.63 | 0.83 | 0.66 | 0.71 | 0.81 | 1.00 | 0.76 | 0.84 |
| VEU | 0.80 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.05 | -0.08 | 0.17 | 0.88 | 0.69 | 0.69 | 0.74 | 0.71 | 0.76 | 1.00 | 0.88 |
| Portfolio | 0.98 | 0.01 | 0.03 | 0.04 | -0.10 | 0.20 | 0.78 | 0.76 | 0.75 | 0.95 | 0.83 | 0.84 | 0.88 | 1.00 |