Month in Review
April 2026 proved a rewarding month for diversified investors willing to stay the course amid lingering macro uncertainties.
Global equity markets staged a meaningful recovery in April, led by renewed strength in US technology stocks, a rebound in emerging markets, and continued positive momentum out of Japan. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq both closed higher for the month, while Asian equity ETFs delivered above-trend returns.
SqSave's AI-powered portfolios were well-positioned to capture this upswing. The engine's dynamic allocation — with meaningful weights in QQQ, XLK, SPY, EEM, and EWJ — drove April monthly returns ranging from +5.1% (Conservative) to +9.4% (Very Aggressive). These returns represent the strongest single-month performance for SqSave portfolios in the first four months of 2026, recovering sharply from March's pullback.
SqSave outperformed all three main competitor robo-advisors across every risk class in April 2026 — in the Conservative category alone, SqSave's +5.1% return was more than double the best competing product (+2.3%).
April 2026 — Monthly Returns
SqSave reference portfolios vs. benchmark and competitor robo-advisors (same risk class).
| Reference Portfolio | SqSave MTD | Benchmark | Competitor 1 | Competitor 2 | Competitor 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative (20–30% equity) | +5.13% | +4.76% | +1.35% | +1.14% | +2.28% |
| Balanced (40% equity) | +6.73% | +6.21% | +1.96% | +2.34% | +3.93% |
| Growth (60% equity) | +7.01% | +7.87% | +2.85% | +4.81% | +5.50% |
| Aggressive (80% equity) | +9.36% | +9.18% | +4.21% | — | +7.02% |
| Very Aggressive (90% equity) | +9.40% | +9.70% | — | — | — |
| Competitor returns sourced from publicly available data. SqSave returns are net of fees. Benchmark is a blended index reflecting each portfolio's equity/fixed income mix. | |||||
In three out of five risk categories, SqSave's April returns closely tracked or exceeded their blended benchmark, while in all five categories SqSave materially outperformed every competitor product at the same risk level.
Year-to-Date & Longer-Term Track Record
| Portfolio | Apr MTD | 2026 YTD | 1-Year | 3-Year (Cumul.) | 3-Year (Ann.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | +5.13% | +3.98% | +15.7% | +39.7% | +11.8% p.a. |
| Balanced | +6.73% | +4.28% | +19.7% | +50.9% | +14.7% p.a. |
| Growth | +7.01% | +3.63% | +19.2% | +40.1% | +11.9% p.a. |
| Aggressive | +9.36% | +4.88% | +24.1% | +46.8% | +13.7% p.a. |
| Very Aggressive | +9.40% | +4.06% | +22.1% | +50.8% | +14.7% p.a. |
The longer-term numbers tell a compelling story. The SqSave Balanced portfolio has compounded at +14.7% per annum over three years, while even the more defensive Conservative portfolio has delivered +11.8% per annum — well above typical savings rates or money market returns. Across all five portfolios, annualised three-year returns ranged between 11.8% and 14.7%.
How SqSave Stacks Up — April 2026 YTD
Year-to-date 2026, SqSave leads across conservative, balanced, and aggressive risk classes.
SqSave leads YTD in the conservative and balanced categories — the risk classes with the broadest retail investor base. The Growth portfolio's YTD return of +3.63% sits slightly below Competitor 3, though SqSave's April MTD of +7.01% demonstrates the engine's recovery speed.
What Drove April's Returns
A breakdown of the key contributors and detractors across SqSave portfolios in April 2026.
✅ Top Contributors
⚠️ Key Detractors
Technology was the dominant return driver in April, with QQQ and XLK making significant positive contributions across all higher-risk portfolios. Emerging market equities (EEM, AAXJ, ASHR) also contributed meaningfully — particularly to conservative and balanced allocations. The main headwinds came from precious metals and international fixed income, as gold and silver gave back some of their recent gains on reduced safe-haven demand.
Market Outlook — Looking Ahead
Key macro and market factors that will shape SqSave portfolio positioning in the months ahead.
US Rate Trajectory
With core inflation continuing to moderate towards the Federal Reserve's 2% target, markets are pricing in one to two rate cuts in H2 2026. A clearer rate-cut path would support both equities and bonds — particularly benefiting SqSave's multi-asset portfolios.
AI & Technology Cycle
The AI infrastructure buildout continues to drive outsized earnings growth in the technology sector. SqSave's meaningful allocation to XLK and QQQ positions portfolios to benefit from continued secular growth in this theme, though valuations remain elevated and require active monitoring.
Asia & Emerging Markets
China's fiscal stimulus measures, Japan's corporate governance reforms, and broader EM currency stabilisation create a constructive backdrop for Asian equities. SqSave's exposure to EEM, AAXJ, ASHR, and EWJ is well-placed to capture continued recovery momentum.
Geopolitical & Trade Risk
Ongoing trade policy developments — particularly around US-China tech restrictions and tariff frameworks — remain a key source of volatility. SqSave's diversified, AI-rebalanced approach allows the engine to respond dynamically as geopolitical scenarios evolve.
Fixed Income Repositioning
International bonds (BNDX, BWX) faced headwinds in April as rate expectations shifted. As central bank policy divergence narrows in H2, fixed income allocations — particularly in conservative and balanced portfolios — may begin to contribute positively again.
SqSave AI Engine
SqSave's algorithm continuously monitors over 20 global asset classes and rebalances in response to changing market conditions. The engine's track record of delivering 11.8%–14.7% annualised returns over three years reflects its ability to navigate both risk-on and risk-off environments.
SqSave's investment philosophy remains unchanged: stay diversified, stay invested, and let the AI engine do the heavy lifting. April's strong results are a reminder that time in the market — not timing the market — is what compounds wealth over the long run.
Sincerely,
SqSave Investment Team
Disclaimer
The contents herein are intended for informational purposes only and do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of any offer to buy or sell any securities to any person in any jurisdiction. No reliance should be placed on the information or opinions herein or accuracy or completeness, for any purpose whatsoever. No representation, warranty or undertaking, express or implied, is given as to the information or opinions herein or accuracy or completeness, and no liability is accepted as to the foregoing. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. All investments carry risk and all investment decisions of an individual remain the responsibility of that individual. All investors are advised to fully understand all risks associated with any kind of investing they choose to do. Hypothetical or simulated performance is not indicative of future results. Unless specifically noted otherwise, all return examples provided in our websites and publications are based on hypothetical or simulated investing. We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.
Footnotes:
1. 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.
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