Cross-Sectional Momentum (US S&P 500)
slug: momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500
performance summary
Sharpe (median)
+0.76
Max DD
-14.8%
Win rate
—
Alpha (ann.)
—
p-value
0.13
backtest period: 2022-04-01 → 2026-06-01
Sharpe across 960 grid runs:median 0.76best 2.28 (not representative)worst -0.67p25–p75 0.42–1.05
Hypothesis
Jegadeesh & Titman (1993): stocks with high past returns continue to outperform over intermediate horizons. LONG winners, SHORT losers. Applied to S&P 500 constituents.
Why it didn't work
Across 960 grid combinations, median Sharpe=0.76, best=2.28. Primary failure mode: no_edge.
Facts (7)
Average monthly return correlation with other strategies in DOWN regime: 0.15
Pairwise Pearson correlation of monthly returns across 42 strategies, filtered to DOWN regime months (N=3, N225 < SMA20 < SMA60)
Average monthly return correlation with other strategies (full period): 0.04
Pairwise Pearson correlation of monthly returns across 42 strategies, full backtest period
Best grid Sharpe ratio is 2.28 (p=0.00014).
period 2022-04-01–2026-06-01; cost=5bps
cite ↗ /cite/momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-fact-best-sharpevia r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0869
Median Sharpe across 960 grid runs is 0.76.
Full grid of 960 parameter combinations.
Median Sharpe in DOWN regime is 0.90 across 960 runs.
Regime=DOWN, N225 SMA20/SMA60 classification.
Median Sharpe in FLAT regime is 0.23 across 960 runs.
Regime=FLAT, N225 SMA20/SMA60 classification.
Median Sharpe in UP regime is 1.11 across 960 runs.
Regime=UP, N225 SMA20/SMA60 classification.
Runs (30)
| run | params | sharpe | UP | FLAT | DOWN |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
formation_days=60, holding_days=1, n_stocks=5, skip_days=0, cost_bps=5, regime_gate=False r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0000 | cost_bps: 5 n_stocks: 5 skip_days: 0 | +0.58 | +1.70 | -0.38 | +0.29 |
formation_days=60, holding_days=1, n_stocks=5, skip_days=0, cost_bps=5, regime_gate=True r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0001 | cost_bps: 5 n_stocks: 5 skip_days: 0 | +0.20 | +0.81 | -0.38 | +0.29 |
formation_days=60, holding_days=1, n_stocks=5, skip_days=0, cost_bps=10, regime_gate=False r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0002 | cost_bps: 10 n_stocks: 5 skip_days: 0 | +0.43 | +1.51 | -0.51 | +0.17 |
formation_days=60, holding_days=1, n_stocks=5, skip_days=0, cost_bps=10, regime_gate=True r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0003 | cost_bps: 10 n_stocks: 5 skip_days: 0 | +0.09 | +0.70 | -0.51 | +0.17 |
formation_days=60, holding_days=1, n_stocks=5, skip_days=21, cost_bps=5, regime_gate=False r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0008 | cost_bps: 5 n_stocks: 5 skip_days: 21 | -0.44 | +0.65 | -1.27 | -0.89 |
formation_days=60, holding_days=1, n_stocks=5, skip_days=21, cost_bps=10, regime_gate=True r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0011 | cost_bps: 10 n_stocks: 5 skip_days: 21 | -0.67 | +0.35 | -1.38 | -1.01 |
formation_days=60, holding_days=1, n_stocks=50, skip_days=0, cost_bps=5, regime_gate=False r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0036 | cost_bps: 5 n_stocks: 50 skip_days: 0 | +0.14 | +1.16 | -0.67 | -0.26 |
formation_days=60, holding_days=5, n_stocks=5, skip_days=0, cost_bps=10, regime_gate=True r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0051 | cost_bps: 10 n_stocks: 5 skip_days: 0 | +0.61 | +0.82 | +0.16 | +1.39 |
formation_days=60, holding_days=10, n_stocks=5, skip_days=0, cost_bps=5, regime_gate=False r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0096 | cost_bps: 5 n_stocks: 5 skip_days: 0 | +0.21 | +0.88 | -0.32 | -0.20 |
formation_days=60, holding_days=10, n_stocks=50, skip_days=21, cost_bps=5, regime_gate=True r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0141 | cost_bps: 5 n_stocks: 50 skip_days: 21 | +0.03 | +1.13 | -0.79 | -0.06 |
formation_days=60, holding_days=20, n_stocks=50, skip_days=5, cost_bps=10, regime_gate=False r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0186 | cost_bps: 10 n_stocks: 50 skip_days: 5 | -0.02 | +0.53 | -0.35 | -0.55 |
formation_days=60, holding_days=60, n_stocks=5, skip_days=0, cost_bps=5, regime_gate=False r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0192 | cost_bps: 5 n_stocks: 5 skip_days: 0 | +0.56 | +0.99 | +0.41 | -1.61 |
formation_days=60, holding_days=60, n_stocks=50, skip_days=5, cost_bps=5, regime_gate=False r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0232 | cost_bps: 5 n_stocks: 50 skip_days: 5 | +0.24 | +0.94 | +0.20 | -2.82 |
formation_days=120, holding_days=1, n_stocks=50, skip_days=0, cost_bps=5, regime_gate=True r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0277 | cost_bps: 5 n_stocks: 50 skip_days: 0 | -0.04 | +0.73 | -0.56 | -0.61 |
formation_days=120, holding_days=5, n_stocks=20, skip_days=21, cost_bps=10, regime_gate=False r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0322 | cost_bps: 10 n_stocks: 20 skip_days: 21 | +0.36 | +0.09 | -0.35 | +2.48 |
formation_days=120, holding_days=10, n_stocks=20, skip_days=5, cost_bps=10, regime_gate=True r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0367 | cost_bps: 10 n_stocks: 20 skip_days: 5 | +0.60 | +1.46 | -0.47 | +1.46 |
formation_days=120, holding_days=20, n_stocks=20, skip_days=5, cost_bps=5, regime_gate=False r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0412 | cost_bps: 5 n_stocks: 20 skip_days: 5 | +0.90 | +1.21 | +0.30 | +1.47 |
formation_days=120, holding_days=60, n_stocks=20, skip_days=0, cost_bps=5, regime_gate=True r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0457 | cost_bps: 5 n_stocks: 20 skip_days: 0 | +1.25 | +1.67 | +1.09 | -0.48 |
formation_days=180, holding_days=1, n_stocks=10, skip_days=21, cost_bps=10, regime_gate=False r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0502 | cost_bps: 10 n_stocks: 10 skip_days: 21 | +0.21 | +0.45 | -0.06 | -0.22 |
formation_days=180, holding_days=5, n_stocks=10, skip_days=5, cost_bps=10, regime_gate=True r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0547 | cost_bps: 10 n_stocks: 10 skip_days: 5 | +1.13 | +1.17 | +0.45 | +2.43 |
formation_days=180, holding_days=10, n_stocks=10, skip_days=5, cost_bps=5, regime_gate=False r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0592 | cost_bps: 5 n_stocks: 10 skip_days: 5 | +1.01 | +1.02 | +0.48 | +2.03 |
formation_days=180, holding_days=20, n_stocks=10, skip_days=0, cost_bps=5, regime_gate=True r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0637 | cost_bps: 5 n_stocks: 10 skip_days: 0 | +1.08 | +2.10 | -0.18 | +1.36 |
formation_days=180, holding_days=60, n_stocks=5, skip_days=21, cost_bps=10, regime_gate=False r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0682 | cost_bps: 10 n_stocks: 5 skip_days: 21 | +0.75 | +0.88 | +0.47 | +0.84 |
formation_days=250, holding_days=1, n_stocks=5, skip_days=0, cost_bps=5, regime_gate=False r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0720 | cost_bps: 5 n_stocks: 5 skip_days: 0 | +0.94 | +1.51 | +0.32 | -0.14 |
formation_days=250, holding_days=1, n_stocks=5, skip_days=21, cost_bps=5, regime_gate=False r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0728 | cost_bps: 5 n_stocks: 5 skip_days: 21 | +1.04 | +1.62 | +0.01 | +0.20 |
formation_days=250, holding_days=5, n_stocks=5, skip_days=5, cost_bps=5, regime_gate=True r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0773 | cost_bps: 5 n_stocks: 5 skip_days: 5 | +1.63 | +1.55 | +1.58 | +2.15 |
formation_days=250, holding_days=10, n_stocks=5, skip_days=0, cost_bps=10, regime_gate=False r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0818 | cost_bps: 10 n_stocks: 5 skip_days: 0 | +0.96 | +0.92 | +0.78 | +1.32 |
formation_days=250, holding_days=10, n_stocks=50, skip_days=21, cost_bps=10, regime_gate=True r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0863 | cost_bps: 10 n_stocks: 50 skip_days: 21 | +1.31 | +1.64 | +0.71 | +1.67 |
formation_days=250, holding_days=20, n_stocks=5, skip_days=5, cost_bps=5, regime_gate=True r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0869 | cost_bps: 5 n_stocks: 5 skip_days: 5 | +2.28 | +2.43 | +2.26 | +1.65 |
formation_days=250, holding_days=20, n_stocks=50, skip_days=21, cost_bps=5, regime_gate=True r-momentum-cross-sectional-us-sp500-0909 | cost_bps: 5 n_stocks: 50 skip_days: 21 | +1.74 | +1.84 | +1.73 | +1.25 |
Target universe
S&P 500 constituents, ~503 stocks
Related strategies
source: qbuntu-analysis · kabu STATION REST API + J-Quants daily bars
computed asof: 2026-07-27T03:36:14