Substitute VIG for SPY in SACEVS and SACEMS?

A subscriber asked whether substituting the less volatile Vanguard Dividend Appreciation Index Fund (VIG) for SPDR S&P 500 (SPY) in the Simple Asset Class ETF Value Strategy (SACEVS) and the Simple Asset Class ETF Momentum Strategy (SACEMS) would improve outcomes. To investigate, we substitute monthly VIG dividend-adjusted returns for SPY dividend-adjusted returns in the two model strategies. Because VIG is not available for the entire sample periods used in the tracked models, we splice VIG returns into the SPY position starting with inception of the former in May 2006. We then compare the spliced performance with the original baseline performance, including: gross compound annual growth rates (CAGR), gross annual returns, average gross annual returns, standard deviations of gross annual returns, gross annual Sharpe ratios and maximum drawdowns (MaxDD). In Sharpe ratio calculations, we employ the average monthly yield on 3-month U.S. Treasury bills during a year as the risk-free rate for that year. Using the specified methodology and data to generate SACEVS monthly returns starting August 2002 and SACEMS monthly returns starting July 2006, all through December 2021, we find that:

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