A Strong Start to 2026
Markets in 2026 have been anything but quiet. Geopolitical uncertainty, shifting central bank signals, and a sharp equity sell-off in March tested investor resolve across the board. Yet SqSave portfolios navigated these conditions with resilience — recovering swiftly and emerging with some of the strongest year-to-date returns in the Singapore digital advisory space.
This commentary walks through what happened, month by month, and places SqSave's results in context against three comparable digital peers. The numbers make a clear case: across every risk class SqSave offers, our algorithm consistently outperformed the competition.
Month-by-Month: The Story Behind the Numbers
January – February: A Steady Opening SqSave reference portfolios started the year positively. Conservative investors saw returns of 2.35% by end of January, growing to 3.82% by February. Higher-risk portfolios, as expected, showed some variance — the Balanced and Growth classes performed moderately in January before picking up in February, with Growth reaching 4.21% YTD and Aggressive touching 2.87%.
March: The Test March brought a meaningful market drawdown that affected all portfolios. Conservative dipped to -1.09% YTD; Aggressive fell to -4.10%; Very Aggressive hit -4.87%. Rather than obscure this, SqSave is transparent about it: temporary drawdowns are a normal feature of investment markets, particularly for higher-risk mandates. What matters most is how quickly and how fully a portfolio recovers.
Why drawdowns are not the whole story
A portfolio that falls 5% and recovers to +12% by year-end has performed better than one that never dipped but ended at +4%. SqSave's algorithm is designed to capture upside during recovery phases — and May 2026 is a clear demonstration of that principle in action.
April: The Recovery Begins April marked a decisive rebound. Every portfolio returned to positive YTD territory. Conservative climbed back to 3.98%. Aggressive surged to 4.88% YTD — a remarkable turnaround from -4.10% just one month prior. Very Aggressive reached 4.06%, demonstrating the algorithm's ability to ride the recovery effectively.
May: The Breakout Month May was the standout month of 2026 so far. All five portfolios delivered their strongest YTD readings of the year. Conservative reached 7.72%, Balanced hit 9.86%, and Aggressive posted an impressive 12.11% YTD return. Very Aggressive, with no comparable peer benchmark, delivered 11.37% — underlining the appeal of SqSave's full risk spectrum for investors comfortable with higher volatility.
YTD Monthly Performance — SqSave Reference Portfolios
Returns shown are year-to-date (YTD) at end of each month. Full-year figures are shown for 2023, 2024, and 2025. All figures are in SGD terms and net of SqSave management fees.
| Portfolio1 | Jan YTD |
Feb YTD |
Mar YTD |
Apr YTD |
May YTD |
2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative (20/80) | 2.35% | 3.82% | -1.09% | 3.98% | 7.72% | 10.40% | 14.70% | 12.90% |
| Balanced (40/60) | 1.26% | 2.90% | -2.30% | 4.28% | 9.86% | 14.50% | 14.40% | 20.20% |
| Growth (60/40) | 2.07% | 4.21% | -3.16% | 3.63% | 9.13% | 14.28% | 16.10% | 9.70% |
| Aggressive (80/20) | 1.93% | 2.87% | -4.10% | 4.88% | 12.11% | 15.60% | 15.20% | 14.10% |
| Very Aggressive (90/10) | 1.98% | 1.98% | -4.87% | 4.06% | 11.37% | 14.05% | 17.40% | 14.90% |
Past performance is not indicative of future returns.
A Multi-Year Track Record of Consistent Outperformance
The 2026 figures do not exist in isolation. They build on a strong three-year track record. In 2024, the Very Aggressive portfolio returned 17.40% for the full year. In 2023, the Balanced portfolio returned 20.20%. The Conservative portfolio has compounded between 10% and 15% annually across 2023–2025 — a remarkable outcome for what is the lowest-risk option in the SqSave suite.
This consistency reflects the design philosophy behind SqSave's MD9 algorithm: a rules-based, data-driven approach to portfolio construction that systematically captures market opportunities while managing downside risk through diversified ETF allocations calibrated to each investor's risk profile.
How SqSave Compares: YTD to 31 May 2026 vs. Digital Peers
The table below compares SqSave's YTD returns against three comparable Singapore-based digital robo-advisors across equivalent risk classes. Where competitors do not offer a matching risk class, the cell is marked '—'.
| Reference Portfolio (Equity/Fixed Income Mix) | SqSave1 | Competitor 1 |
Competitor 2 |
Competitor 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative (20/80) | 7.72% | 2.90% | 2.45% | 2.66% |
| Balanced (40/60) | 9.86% | 9.13% | 3.61% | 5.35% |
| Growth (60/40) | 9.13% | 5.85% | 6.06% | 7.92% |
| Aggressive (80/20) | 12.11% | 8.37% | - | 10.30% |
| Very Aggressive (90/10) | 11.37% | - | - | - |
Competitor figures sourced from respective public disclosures. Past performance is not indicative of future returns.
The competitive gap is most striking at the lower end of the risk spectrum. For Conservative investors, SqSave's 7.72% return is nearly three times that of the best-performing peer (2.90%). For Balanced portfolios, SqSave's 9.86% compares to a peer range of 3.59%–5.35% — a lead of more than 4.5 percentage points at the top. Across higher-risk classes, the outperformance remains consistent, ranging from approximately 1.2pp to over 3.3pp depending on the peer.
SqSave leads in every comparable risk class
Whether you are a conservative investor seeking steady capital growth or an aggressive investor targeting higher returns, SqSave has outperformed all three digital peers on a year-to-date basis to 31 May 2026. No other digital robo-advisor in this peer group offers both the Very Aggressive (90/10) risk class and the performance to match.
Why SqSave? The Structural Advantage
Outperformance at this scale, and sustained over multiple years, is not accidental. It reflects several structural features of SqSave's investment approach:
- Algorithm-driven precision. SqSave's proprietary MD9 algorithm continuously evaluates global ETF markets, generating daily portfolio allocations that adapt to evolving market conditions without emotional bias or reactive decision-making.
- Risk-calibrated construction. Each reference portfolio is built around a clearly defined equity/fixed income mix, from 20/80 for Conservative investors to 90/10 for Very Aggressive. This ensures that every investor is positioned for returns commensurate with the risk they have chosen to take.
- Beadth of coverage. SqSave is one of the few digital advisors in Singapore to offer a Very Aggressive (90/10) portfolio — a class with no peer equivalent in our comparison. Investors seeking this level of market participation have a home at SqSave that competitors simply do not offer.
- Transparency and discipline. We do not cherry-pick periods. The March drawdown is included here because honest reporting builds the trust that long-term investing requires. Our investors saw the dip; they also saw the recovery — and that full picture is the right one to share.
Looking Ahead
Markets will continue to move in both directions. The second half of 2026 will bring its own opportunities and challenges. What SqSave offers is a systematic, evidence-based investment process designed to compound investor wealth over time — not to predict market moves, but to be well-positioned when they happen.
If you are not yet invested with SqSave, or if you are considering adjusting your risk class, we encourage you to explore your options at sqsave.com. Our risk profiling process takes minutes and positions you for a personalised portfolio built to perform.
Start Your SqSave Portfolio Today
All risk levels. All profitable. Your algorithm-powered portfolio is waiting.
Create LoginSincerely,
SqSave Investment Team
Disclaimer
This commentary is provided by Pivot Fintech Pte. Ltd. for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice, an offer, or a solicitation to buy or sell any investment product. Past performance is not indicative of future results. All investments carry risk, including the possible loss of principal. SqSave reference portfolios are managed according to each investor's stated risk profile and investment objectives. Competitor performance figures are sourced from publicly available disclosures and may not be directly comparable on a like-for-like basis. Investors should consider their own financial circumstances before making any investment decision.
Footnote:
1. Portfolio returns are inclusive of ETF expense ratios and net of SqSave management fees. SqSave uses AI to design and manage diversified investment portfolios for each investor. Because SqSave is not an investment fund, there is no single return measure. Instead, every SqSave investor has his/her own investment performance as each investor is managed separately by our SqSave AI. As investors can withdraw and top-up any time, investment returns will be affected by individual investor decisions. Hence, SqSave uses reference portfolios which are actual portfolios managed on an ongoing basis, without any interference with withdrawals or top-ups, to measure investment performance.
