WBI’s journey to creating Cy, its innovative portfolio optimization technology, is the culmination of over 40 years of experience dedicated to helping people plan for their future and invest more successfully.
Our founder, Don Schreiber, Jr., laid the foundation for WBI in the 1960s and 1970s, a time marked by turbulent markets where many investors struggled to see returns. Political, social, and economic upheavals created an unpredictable backdrop like today. Don recognized the need for a different approach to investing—one focused on protecting wealth while pursuing growth. In 1984, WBI was born with these core principles, prioritizing wealth preservation and steady growth over chasing the highest returns.
In the early days, Don built the business by working with clients nearing retirement—business owners who spent decades accumulating wealth and sought to protect it. These clients often expressed the same sentiment: “I’ve spent my whole life making this money. Whatever you do, don’t lose it.” In response, Don began developing proprietary investment strategies designed to manage risk in volatile markets. His approach centered on two key goals: investing in high dividend-paying stocks to generate income and managing the inherent risk in volatile markets so clients wouldn’t abandon their investment strategies during downturns.
Over the years, as WBI continued to serve financial advisors, one consistent request emerged—advisors wanted a tool to help them build portfolios with a balance of risk and return when markets were soaring. This led to a long-term project that began about 12 years ago. It started with a white paper on compounding capital and capital power ratios, a study that gained widespread attention and explored metrics crucial for constructing risk-adjusted portfolios. Advisors were impressed and began asking how they could replicate the process. At that time, it was all done manually.
Several years later, the idea for Cy was born. Cy represents a breakthrough in portfolio optimization technology driven by the principles outlined in WBI’s capital power ratio study. The goal was to combine these early insights with a quantitative, algorithmic approach to build custom portfolios tailored to each client’s risk tolerance and return objectives. Cy’s technology utilizes mathematical filtering and optimization to target a specific level of acceptable loss while maximizing potential returns for that level of risk.
WBI’s approach is deeply rooted in the work of Harry Markowitz, whose groundbreaking research focused on the relationship between risk and reward. While traditional strategies often emphasize diversification and style-box investing, we believe true diversification today must be based on correlation. By focusing on non-correlated asset return streams, we aim to reduce risk and protect capital—an essential principle behind Cy’s quantitative algorithm. Cy’s optimization seeks to compound capital by targeting the optimal balance of risk and return, with portfolios rebalanced quarterly to maintain the desired risk profile.
Cy empowers financial advisors with a powerful tool to manage their clients’ wealth more effectively and efficiently. It enables advisors better to understand their clients’ risk and return needs, providing a comprehensive, mathematically derived solution to portfolio construction.
WBI’s evolution—from financial planners to investment managers to financial technology innovators—has allowed us to apply four decades of expertise to create an integrated platform. With Cy, we’ve built a robust solution that enables advisors to confidently manage their clients’ portfolios, knowing the strategies are based on sound mathematical principles and years of real-world experience. This is the culmination of our life’s work, and we believe it represents the future of successful wealth management.
Cy’s portfolio optimization process begins by casting a wide moat, including almost 40,000 mutual funds, ETFs, and separately managed accounts, to find the highest risk-adjusted return managers and select the highest-ranked managers. Portfolios are developed by combining managers to achieve a targeted rate of return at specific loss profiles by maximizing non-correlation and covariance.
The chart provided below offers a detailed overview of a Cy optimized portfolio versus the S&P 500 Index benchmark over the period of January 2000 to December 2023. By analyzing the data, we can better understand how Cy’s portfolio optimization process takes advantage of both upmarket and downmarket capture ratios to create long-term compounding power.
Performance for the sample Cy optimized portfolio is net of underlying fund fees and expenses, but does not reflect deduction of the adviser fee, platform fee or custodial fee. Cy Optimized Portfolio performance is hypothetical, does not represent actual results, and is not indicative of future returns. Please refer to the disclosure at the end of this piece for information about the limitations of hypothetical performance and the calculation methodology. Index performance does not reflect the deduction of fees. You cannot invest directly in an index.
Key Data Points:
Up Capture Ratio: This measures the portfolio’s performance in up markets relative to the benchmark. A higher up capture ratio means the portfolio participates more in the gains of the market.
Down Capture Ratio: This shows how the portfolio performs relative to the benchmark during market downturns. A lower down capture ratio indicates the portfolio loses less during down markets, offering greater protection.
Cy Optimized Portfolio Statistics Summary:
Up Capture: 81.58% (compared to the S&P 500’s 100%)
Down Capture: 35.11% (compared to the S&P 500’s 100%)
Annualized Return: 11.02% (compared to the S&P 500’s 7.03%)
Worst Drawdown: -19.96% (versus -45.80% for the S&P 500)
These numbers highlight how Cy’s optimized portfolio has been structured to capture a significant portion of market gains (about 81.58% of the S&P 500’s gains) while dramatically reducing losses in down markets (only 35.11% of the S&P 500’s losses). This reduction in down capture significantly aids in long-term compounding power.
Protection in Down Markets:
We feel that minimizing losses in bear markets is one of the most crucial elements of wealth preservation and growth. The Cy portfolio’s 35.11% down capture ratio means it experienced far less drawdown than the S&P 500 (which captures the full 100% of losses).
By minimizing losses, the portfolio doesn’t need to climb as much in subsequent periods to recover from drawdowns. Compounding becomes more powerful when capital is preserved in market downturns.
Participating in Gains:
The Cy portfolio still captures a significant portion of upmarket gains, with an up capture ratio of 81.58%. This allows the portfolio to grow meaningfully during bull markets while balancing the risk exposure.
The combination of high participation in market gains, paired with reduced losses, can create a smoother ride for investors and accelerate the compounding effect over time.
Mathematical Compounding Impact:
Compounding is more efficient when losses are limited. For instance, if you lose 50% in a market crash, you need a 100% return to break even. With Cy’s lower-down capture, losses are more controlled, meaning less recovery is required, and the portfolio can continue growing at a more consistent pace.
The Cy portfolio’s worst drawdown is about -19.96%, compared to the S&P 500’s worst drawdown of -45.80%. This demonstrates how much less of a recovery is needed for the Cy portfolio to regain ground after a downturn.
Consistency and Volatility Reduction:
The combination of higher-up and lower-down capture generates a portfolio with more consistent returns and less volatility. Over the long term, this consistency drives higher annualized returns, as seen with the Cy portfolio’s 11.02% return compared to the S&P 500’s 7.03%.
As demonstrated by the portfolio’s down capture ratio, lower volatility can reduce the likelihood of investors making emotionally driven decisions (like selling during downturns), which is often a critical factor in investor success.
Portfolio Components* and Risk Management:
The portfolio’s allocation includes a mix of asset categories such as commodities (e.g., Direxion Auspice Broad Commodity Strategy ETF), equities (e.g., Invesco SmallCap ETFs), and fixed income (e.g., iShares Agency Bond ETF). These diversified investments contribute to the lower down-capture ratio by blending high-growth assets with more stable, less volatile investments. By focusing on non-correlated assets, the portfolio can achieve diversified exposure less vulnerable to market-wide movements.
Conclusion:
The Cy portfolio’s use of upmarket and downmarket capture ratios showcases the power of optimizing portfolios for risk-adjusted returns. The portfolio can compound more efficiently over time by capturing much of the market’s upside while drastically reducing exposure to losses. This method aims to protect investor capital during downturns while allowing for significant growth during bull markets, which can lead to higher long-term returns and greater financial stability for investors.
*Holdings and allocations are subject to change and are not a recommendation to buy or sell any particular security. It should not be assumed any security were/will be profitable or that future recommendations will be similar.
DISCLOSURES
The WBI Cy Platform has interactive tools that allow Clients and Introducing Advisers to review and analyze a variety of simulations and projected outcomes if an investment was made in certain investment strategies. This summary does not represent every simulation or investment strategy that was analyzed. Instead, it reflects only the final portfolio that was determined by the Client and Introducing Adviser to the most appropriate option given the Clients' unique circumstances.
The Cy Platform can only be accessed by clients with the assistance of their investment advisers, investment adviser representatives, broker- dealers, registered representatives, insurance agents or other investment professionals or financial intermediaries (collectively, "Financial Intermediaries"). The information provided through the Cy Platform is intended to provide Financial Intermediaries with information and analysis to assist them in making investment decisions on behalf of their clients.
The Cy Platform serves as a portal that provides Financial Intermediaries with access to various investment strategies referred to as the "Cy Optimized Portfolios." CyborgTech, LLC ("CyborgTech") owns the technology and intellectual property for the Cy Platform. The Cy Optimized Portfolios are based on a proprietary algorithm licensed to financial intermediaries by CyborgTech, which is affiliated with WBI Investments, LLC. ("WBI"). WBI is responsible for the investment-related aspects of the Cy Platform. References to "Cy" or its methodology and outputs refer to the algorithms designed by WBI and offered by CyborgTech through the Cy Platform.
Neither WBI nor CyborgTech independently evaluates the suitability of, or recommends any, funds, investments, or investment strategies for a Financial Intermediaryʼs clients. Investment decisions are made by the Financial Intermediaries based on their own independent judgment.
CY OPTIMIZED PORTFOLIOS
The performance information shown is hypothetical and is calculated based on the back-tested performance of the Cy Optimized Portfolios during the time period indicated. Back- tested performance does not represent actual trading or the performance of client accounts and does not reflect the impact of material economic and market factors that might impact an adviserʼs decision in the management of actual client portfolios. As the result, it is likely that actual performance for client accounts will differ materially from, and may be higher or lower than, back-tested returns.
No performance illustration represents the full universe of available investment opportunities. No security or strategy is suitable for all investors. It is important that you read the Form ADV disclosure brochure for each investment adviser associated with any portfolio strategy considered for selection, or each prospectus for any fund product under consideration, in order to understand the investment goals, fees, conflicts of interests, and risks of the strategy prior to making an investment selection. The information provided here does not serve as the receipt of, or substitute for, personalized financial advice from a Financial Intermediary.
Past performance is not indicative of future results. This is not an offer to buy or sell any security. Investments are subject to risk, including the possible loss of principal. This information is obtained from source believed to be reliable, but accuracy cannot be guaranteed.
Portfolio Optimization. The initial universe of investments considered for inclusion in a Cy Optimized Portfolio is based on the fund or investment strategy type selected. See the table below for a list of the various fund or investment strategy types and their respective universe of investments. The development of a Cy Optimized Portfolio begins with a screening process that narrows the applicable category of potential investments based on a proprietary scoring methodology and any restrictions based on fund or investment strategy type. Cy then generates an initial pool of random portfolios based on the more limited universe of investments that pass through the screening process and runs an optimization process that evaluates these possible portfolios. Cy limits the number of initial randomized portfolios and optimization scenarios or mutations of those random portfolios in order to place a reasonable limitation on the potential computer power and time devoted to running optimizations. Cy further constrains potential optimization outcomes as necessary so that the optimized portfolios are appropriately balanced and diversified and maintain a minimum level of cash. The optimization process will select the Cy Optimized Portfolio that provides the most efficient balance between risk and return, as determined by Cyʼs methodology. The portfolio optimization process is not intended to consider all possible outcomes, and it is possible that there are other portfolios that may be more effective or successful than the Cy Optimized Portfolio that is presented.The Cy Optimized Portfolios reflect the results of the Cy optimization process based on the parameters selected by the Financial Intermediary at the clientʼs direction. The Cy Optimized Portfolios will change with each use and over time due to changes to the Cy optimization process. Cy reviews quantitative performance data on a periodic basis and may add or remove investments from the optimized portfolios based on its evaluation of the quantitative data. Cy does not perform a qualitative due diligence review of managers and their investments. If an investment(s) is removed, Cy will reconstitute the portfolioʼs components (and will not merely replace the removed investment(s) with a similar one).
Rebalancing and Reconstitution. The portfolio allocations used for implementing client accounts based on a given Cy Optimized Portfolio will drift from the specified target weights of that Cy Optimized Portfolio between quarters due to price appreciation or depreciation of each constituent. Client accounts that are managed pursuant to a Cy Optimized Portfolio are rebalanced back to the specified target weights on a quarterly basis. Quarterly rebalancing typically occurs shortly after the end of each calendar quarter (not on the last or first day of a quarter). Client accounts will be invested at the drifted weights (if such drifting has occurred) then in effect, not the target, or rebalanced, weights.
While rebalancing occurs on a quarterly basis, Cy will separately execute a fresh reconstitution, or optimization, of Cy Optimized Portfolios on a periodic basis (typically no less than annually). The reconstitution process will typically result in changes to the Cy Optimized Portfolios that are generated thereafter.
Hypothetical Back-tested Performance. The performance information of the Cy Optimized Portfolios is hypothetical and is based on back-tested performance during the time period indicated. Back-testing attempts to demonstrate how the Cy Optimized Portfolios would have performed through the retroactive application of a model portfolio to historical time periods that pre-date the creation of the Cy Optimized Portfolios. The underlying investments (e.g., the separately managed accounts and the ETFs) included in the Cy Optimized Portfolios were selected with the full benefit of hindsight, after their performance over the historical period was known. Although the performance of the Cy Optimized Portfolios is hypothetical, actual performance of the underlying investments is used in the construction of the back-test during the time period when actual performance is available.
For periods prior to the inception of certain non-actively managed funds, Cy attempts to approximate the performance of the underlying fund by using the current index for that fund, net of the fundʼs then current expense ratio. Indices and expense ratios change over time. Accordingly, Cy may not reflect the most recent index and expense ratio information and the data that is used by Cy will not necessarily reflect the index and expense ratios that were actually in effect during the fundʼs entire performance history. For periods prior to the inception of an investment strategy, back-tested performance of the investments will be used.
Performance for the Cy Optimized Portfolios in this Morningstar output is net of underlying fund fees and expenses, including platform fees, and includes the reinvestment of dividends or income, but does not reflect transaction costs or the deduction of additional advisory fees, custodial fees and any other fees and expenses paid by the client. The advisory fee is charged by the clientʼs financial professional. Cy does not determine or control the amount of the advisory fee. These additional fees and expenses will reduce actual performance returns. Please see the "IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE CY OPTIMIZATION TOOL" below for additional information about the risks and limitations of the Cy optimization tool.
Back-tested performance has certain inherent limitations, including the following:
Model portfolios and investment procedures used for actual client portfolios may be changed at the managerʼs discretion from time to time causing differences between the approach used to calculate back-tested model returns and the approach used to manage actual client portfolios. The effect on performance results could be either favorable or unfavorable.
Back-tested returns do not include the effect of transaction costs. The back tested returns assume all transactions were executed using closing prices on the day indicated by the model portfolio. Because trades were not actually executed, back-tested results are not impacted by brokerage commissions, bid-ask spreads, liquidity, and other market factors that will typically reduce actual performance returns.
Actual returns will also be impacted by other factors that are not reflected in back-tested returns, including portfolio cash balances, cash flow timing and frequency, and tax- management strategies, which may have a substantial effect on performance.
Back tested results may be impacted by material errors or deficiencies that were not identified when developing the model portfolios or when calculating the hypothetical returns.
Actual returns will not replicate the same portfolio rebalance timing, frequency or security selection used when calculating the back-tested results.
As a result of these and potentially other variances it is likely that actual performance for client accounts will differ materially from, and may be lower than, back-tested returns.
Data Sources Used. The data source for all strategies, investment products and indices is Morningstar, Inc. The data source for backtested WBI strategies is the manager, WBI Investments LLC.
All performance data included on the Cy platform (including yields, returns, and expense ratios) is based on the latest data available from its sources at the time of the last full reconstitution, which typically occurs on an annual basis.
Expressed in percentage terms, Morningstar's calculation of total return is determined each month by taking the change in monthly net asset value, reinvesting all income and capital-gains distributions during that month, and dividing by the starting NAV. Reinvestments are made using the actual reinvestment NAV, and daily payoffs are reinvested monthly. Unless otherwise noted, Morningstar does not adjust total returns for sales charges (such as front-end loads, deferred loads and redemption fees), preferring to give a clearer picture of a fund's performance. The total returns do account for management, administrative, 12b-1 fees and other costs taken out of fund assets.
© 2023 Morningstar. All Rights Reserved. Certain information contained herein: 1) is proprietary to Morningstar and/or its content providers; 2) may not be copied or distributed; and 3) is not warranted to be accurate, complete, or timely. Neither Morningstar nor its content providers are responsible for any damages or losses arising from any use of this information.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE CY OPTIMIZATION TOOL
About the service. The Cy Optimized Portfolio and related output presented are for illustrative purposes only, and provide an example of Cyʼs process, methodology and outputs. The target objectives applied for any sample optimized portfolioʼs performance may not be suitable objectives for all investors. Actual results may differ materially from those portrayed herein. Therefore, it should not be assumed that the future results of any specific investment analyzed by Cy will be portable or equal the results portrayed herein. Moreover, the analysis provided by the Cy optimization tool will vary with each use and over time.
Affiliated Investments. WBI serves as a sub-adviser to certain exchange-traded funds, and separately offers its advisory services and portfolio strategies through various asset management platforms or investment tools, including Cy (collectively, "proprietary products"). Cy does not exclude WBIʼs proprietary products when analyzing the managers available to be included in a Cy Optimized Portfolio. The inclusion of WBI as an available manager creates a conflict of interest because WBI has a financial incentive to select proprietary products in order to generate greater revenue for WBI. However, Cyʼs mathematical models analyze WBI proprietary product performance using the same methodology as any other fund or investment strategy on the platform. The Cy optimization process is agnostic as to the inclusion of particular managers (or the selection of their funds or investment strategies), except in the case when a user chooses to have a portfolio with a particular managerʼs offerings, Cy will customize the optimization process such that the managerʼs offerings will have a certain weight in the optimized portfolio. For such "custom-run" optimizations, the selected managerʼs offerings may appear in an optimized portfolio even if an offering does not fit the general criteria for non-manager specific portfolio optimizations. For example, in a manager- specific optimization, Cy would ignore its general rule excluding funds below certain assets under management levels from an optimized portfolio, and would allow the specified managerʼs funds below the general minimum AUM threshold.
Client Information. The applicability and appropriateness of any Cy Optimization Portfolio is dependent upon the accuracy of the information provided by the Financial Intermediary at the clientʼs direction. Each Financial Intermediary is responsible for verifying the accuracy and completeness of the client data they enter into the Cy optimization tool, and for confirming or adjusting any system defaults based on the Financial Intermediaryʼs judgement. Additionally, the Cy optimization tool affords the Financial Intermediary the ability to adjust the clientʼs optimized required rate of return ("RRoR") and risk tolerance to produce a more or less aggressive Cy Optimized Portfolio. The Financial Intermediary may have additional information based on discussions with the client, including changes to the clientʼs personal financial circumstances, risk tolerance, and investment objectives that of which Cy is not aware that could warrant a change in the RRoR, risk tolerance or the optimized portfolio itself. The Cy optimization tool does not consider all factors that may be relevant in making an investment decision. Cy does not verify the accuracy of the client profile, nor does it independently review whether any particular Cy Optimized Portfolio is suitable or appropriate for a client.
Model Risk. Cy is a proprietary portfolio optimization tool that seeks to develop a portfolio with the characteristics selected by a Financial Intermediary at the clientʼs direction. The models and techniques used in developing and designing the algorithms are based on the information and data provided by third parties as well as on assumptions, assessments, and estimates, all of which are subject to error. As a result, the Cy tool may not account for all relevant factors or may not account for any such factors correctly. There can be no assurance that Cyʼs models or techniques will be successful in identifying a portfolio that, in practice, provides the desired risk/return level. Cy may identify a portfolio that produces unexpected results, including losses for an investor. The Cy portfolio optimization tool, including the assumptions and parameters embedded in any models, is subject to review and adjustment from time to time in Cyʼs sole discretion, and Cy will not provide notice of any changes to any models or techniques.
Risks Associated with Underlying Managers. Cyʼs optimization process and scoring methodology are based on historical performance. Cy does not make a predictive determination of optimized strategies. As with all securities analyses, past performance does not guarantee future results. In addition, Cy does not control the underlying managers and there is a risk that a manager may deviate from the stated investment strategy that was the basis of Cyʼs analysis. Investment managers not considered by Cy (in its optimization analysis) may have characteristics similar to or superior to those being analyzed.
Risks of Third-Party Data. Cyʼs analysis relies on the assumption that the managers or other data providers on a given platform are providing accurate, reliable, and unbiased data and information. Cy makes no representations or warranties with respect to the third-party information it uses, and to the extent permitted by Cy specifically disclaims and will not accept any responsibility for loss or damage arising out of use or reliance by any Financial Intermediary or any other person upon incorrect, incomplete, inaccurate, or misleading third-party data accessed through Cy.
S&P 500 Index: includes a representative sample of large-cap U.S. companies in leading industries where all cash payouts (dividends) are reinvested automatically. Other strategies may have different results.
You are not permitted to publish, transmit, or otherwise reproduce this information, in whole or in part, in any format to any third party without the express written consent of WBI Investments, LLC.