Free model · sector ETF mirror

Sector Alpha

The sector-allocation layer of the Advising Alpha methodology, executed in the eleven SPDR sector ETFs at the same weights as Core 20. Free for all signed-in members. No individual stock picks — just the sector bets.

Today's Portfolio Return

All figures are backtested → · benchmark: S&P 500 TR

9.2%

CAGR

+2.2%

Alpha

0.55

Sharpe

0.78

Sortino

-52%

Max Drawdown

Beta

Growth of $10,000

Data through February 18, 2026•Log scale

Sector Alpha

S&P 500

Final Value

$89,037

Sector Alpha

S&P 500 Value

$53,551

Benchmark

Outperformance

+66.3%

vs Benchmark

Year

Performance

Live

Updated through May 27, 2026

Year-to-date

Jan 1 → May 27, 2026

Portfolio+15.1%

S&P 500 TR+12.7%

Alpha+2.4%

Since last rebalance

May 18, 2026 → May 27, 2026 · 9 days

Portfolio+1.1%

S&P 500 TR+1.6%

Alpha-0.5%

1-year trailing

May 16, 2025 → May 27, 2026

Portfolio+25.6%

S&P 500 TR+26.2%

Alpha-0.6%

All three windows use the same data source as the chart. YTD spans the most recent rebalance; the rebalance window is one holdings composition only.

Year-by-Year Returns

Data through February 18, 2026

Annual returns vs S&P 500 TR. Green beats the benchmark, red trails it.

Sector Alpha

S&P 500 TR

Years Beat Benchmark

Years Trailed

79%

Win Rate

About these numbers: Advising Alpha is a publisher, not a Registered Investment Adviser. We can't publish audited live returns the way mutual funds and hedge funds do, but we can share rigorous backtests of our methodology. Hypothetical, backtested performance based on the methodology applied to historical data. Members who execute the same trades may not achieve the same results due to timing, fees, taxes, and individual circumstances. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Read the full methodology disclosure →

Portfolio Normality Indicator

Returns by Rebalance Period

How each set of holdings performed in its own window. Different time period than YTD — YTD covers Jan 1 forward and spans rebalances; each row below covers a single holdings composition.

Showing 1–4 of 101

Period	Dates	Days	Portfolio	S&P 500 TR	Alpha
Current (from Q2 2026)Live	May 18, 2026 → May 27, 2026	9	+1.1%	+1.6%	-0.5%
Q1 2026	Feb 18, 2026 → May 17, 2026	88	+6.5%	+7.7%	-1.2%
Q4 2025	Nov 17, 2025 → Feb 17, 2026	92	+2.3%	-0.0%	+2.3%
Q3 2025	Aug 15, 2025 → Nov 16, 2025	93	—	—	—

Page 1 of 26

Periods Beat S&P 500 TR

Periods Trailed

50%

Win Rate

Key Characteristics

•11 SPDR sector ETFs weighted to Core 20's current sector posture
•Holdings update automatically the day Core 20 rebalances
•Quarterly cadence (Feb / May / Aug / Nov 20–25)
•No individual stock selection — pure sector-allocation play
•Free for all signed-in Advising Alpha members

Rebalance Schedule

Last: May 18, 2026(10d ago)

Next: August 20–25, 2026(84d)

Sector Alpha rebalances four times a year, on the 20th to 25th of February, May, August, and November — anchored to the SEC 13F filing cycle so we can act on the latest institutional disclosures. Pro members get the trade list by email the moment we publish.

Sector Posture

Sector Alpha vs S&P 500

Sector Alpha

Offense 60%

Def 20%

Ind 20%

100%

S&P 500

Offense 63%

Def 21%

Ind 16%

100%

Offense -3.0pp

Defense -1.0pp

Independents +4.0pp

independent-sector tilt — overweight Energy, Materials, Communication.

Sector weights as of 2026-05-04. Posture is one of several lenses we use to read a portfolio — never used in isolation.

Current Holdings

Checking access...

The research behind this strategy

Why we publish Sector Alpha free.

We took 25 years of Core 20’s history and decomposed every percentage point of outperformance into two layers: sector tilts and stock selection. The finding: Core 20’s sector tilts alone beat the S&P 500 by 355 percentage points over 25 years. Stock selection on top added another 1,544.

Sector Alpha is the first layer, free. The Pro tier is the stock-selection magnifier on top. The full empirical argument is in the research paper.

Get the research paper →Read on the site