How to Read a Portfolio Chart Across 1 Month, 6 Months, 5 Years, and 10 Years

One allocation can look very different over one month, six months, five years, or ten years. The range changes the start date, the market conditions included, and the amount of history visible on the chart.

The right way to use the ranges is to treat each one as a separate historical question—not as a ranking system.

One month

The one-month view is a close-up. It can help you inspect the recent path of the selected mix, but it is sensitive to the exact start and end dates. A short window is not enough to describe the character of a portfolio.

Six months

Six months gives the chart more room to show a sequence of moves. It is still a relatively short historical replay, so the starting date remains important. Use it to compare how the same weights looked across a wider slice of time.

Five years

The five-year view includes more varied market conditions and makes concentration easier to notice. It also includes more assumptions: the result still begins with one allocation, uses the available historical close prices, and excludes cash flows and rebalancing.

Ten years

Ten years is a long historical window, but it is not a forecast of the next ten years. Companies, industries, markets, and the available data can change. A long line on a chart should be read as context, not certainty.

Keep comparisons fair

When comparing two portfolios, keep the starting value, range, price type, and date treatment consistent. Read the “Data through” date and the full start/end dates. Then use the contribution breakdown to see which positions shaped the result.

Equity Replay uses close-price movement, applies the weights once at the starting point, and does not trade or rebalance the mix during the selected window. Read the calculation method, then explore the portfolio library.