Asset Class Scoreboard Entering The Final Quarter

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Asset Class Scoreboard Entering The Final Quarter by Attain Alternative Blog

We’re entering the final quarter of 2015, and if we take the sports analogy a little further – it’s time for the star of your portfolio to show up if there’s any hope of winning the game. Because no matter the make up of your team in 2015, you’re likely losing through three quarters, with every asset class besides bonds and cash in the red and in need of a 4th quarter comeback.  As for alternatives – Managed futures are just barely in the red, but red nonetheless, while hedge funds are down for the year, but better than stocks themselves.

Asset Class Scoreboard

(Disclaimer: Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results)

Notes:

  • No Asset class has been up double digets at any point on the year
  • Commodities are down by more than -20% for the year
  • World Stocks are down about -17% from their 2015 highs (ouch)
  • World Stocks have had five consecutive months of negative returns (Hedge Funds 4)
  • Bonds are at the top of the scoreboard only up 1.01%
  • For as many articles there have been about the end of the bull market, U.S. Stocks are only down -31% on the year
  • We’re seeing less articles about hedge funds underperforming stocks (because they’re beating them!)

Finally, a look at how each asset class performed YTD of every month in 2015 thus far.

Asset Class Scoreboard

(Disclaimer: past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.)
Source: All ETF performance data from Morningstar.com
Sources: Managed Futures = Newedge CTA Index, Cash = 13 week T-Bill rate,
Bonds = Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF (BND),
Hedge Funds= IQ Hedge Multi-Strategy (QAI)
Commodities = iShares GSCI ETF (GSG);
Real Estate = iShares DJ Real Estate ETF (IYR);
World Stocks = iShares MSCI ACWI ex US Index Fund ETF (ACWX);
US Stocks = SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

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