But VXX is actually an incredibly useful security to own when equities decline. Consider:
- In February 2018, VXX gained 44% (measured month start to end)
- In Octiober 2018, VXX gained 40% (measured month start to end)
- In December 2018, VXX gained 36% (measured month start to end)
At this point you have to consider whether a decade-long trend is changing. Take a look at the price of VXX over the past two years:
Obviously there is significant movement in VXX and the key to making money off it is to have the ability to time entries and exits well. Enter our VXX Bias indicator...
Our VXX Bias indicator was first made publicly available in 2013 and has been tracked by a third party (Collective2) since 2016.
A snapshot of our results over that time (below) shows a gain of 348%, thanks largely to huge gains in VXX during the months where equities declined heavily. Specifically:
- February 2018 (+36%),
- October 2018 (+28%),
- December 2018 (+21%).
But our strategy doesn't just excel when the equity market does poorly. That's because our VXX Bias signals when to buy VXX as well as when to short VXX. It successfully identifies times when the market is strong and it is appropriate to short VXX (or buy the inverse ETF, ticker SVXY).
Equally significant gains are made by shorting volatility. Specifically:
- March 2016 (+25%),
- May 2016, (+20%),
- June 2016 (+34%),
- January 2017 (+30%)
I wouldn't fault you for being skeptical of these results since they are outside the norm of what people are told is possible. Which is exactly the reason why I wanted to have the results tracked by a third party over three years ago. People like see actual trades and results. Our customers now include DIYers, Financial Advisors, and hedge funds.
If you look closely at the monthly returns you'll see that we also have months where the strategy does poorly. It should come as no surprise to you that trading is difficult and there is no strategy that works in all market conditions. We typically find ourselves struggling through choppy markets and sharp reversals. We do take losses, for this is not a magic money machine. Fortunately these episodes are relatively brief and our indicator is tuned to maximize profits over the long term.
It has been my honor to have helped thousands of subscribers over the past 6 years. From my initial post in Dec 2012 my mission has been to help investors navigate the use of volatility ETPs and enhance their portfolio returns. We look forward to helping others who can benefit from our expertise.
We make it as easy as we can for people to follow our strategies by sending automated signals change alerts, preliminary alerts, and daily summaries.
Check out what we offer to subscribers by viewing our Subscribe page. Considering the information you get from our service, our subscription prices are actually ridiculously cheap.
To learn more visit our Strategy page. You can also view all the trades that our strategies have generated over the years by looking at the spreadsheets on the Results page or on Collective2.
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Hypothetical and Simulated Performance Disclaimer
The results are based on simulated or hypothetical performance results that have certain inherent limitations. Unlike the results shown in an actual performance record, these results do not represent actual trading. Also, because these trades have not actually been executed, these results may have under- or over-compensated for the impact, if any, of certain market factors, such as lack of liquidity. Simulated or hypothetical trading programs in general are also subject to the fact that they are designed with the benefit of hindsight. No representation is being made that any account will or is likely to achieve profits or losses similar to these being shown. Backtest results do not account for any costs associated with trade commissions or subscription costs. Additional performance differences in backtests arise from the methodology of using the 4:00pm ET closing values for SVXY, VXX, and ZIV as approximated trade prices for indicators that require VIX and VIX futures to settle at 4:15pm ET.
