Welcome back to my monthly update on my StashAway investment portfolios. In this post, I will share the performance breakdown for May 2026 across my three distinct StashAway portfolios, showing their trajectory over the last 3-month cycle (March 1 to May 31, 2026).
If you want to look back at how these portfolios performed previously, you can check out my April 2026 Update.
The equity markets continued their upward momentum through May, pushing two of my higher-risk portfolios close to or past the 100% time-weighted return milestone since inception.
Here is exactly where things stand.
Combined Portfolio Summary (May 2026)
Looking at all three portfolios together, the total capital deployed and the current combined value are as follows:
- Total Net Deposits: $33,948.43 USD
- Total Current Value: $47,206.58 USD
- Total Cumulative Returns: +$13,258.15 USD
- Overall Simple Return: +39.05%
Individual Portfolio Breakdown
1. 2022-05 SRI 16% (Balanced Profile)
This portfolio represents my oldest and most conservative allocation of the three. Because of its lower risk profile and exposure to fixed income, it moves with less volatility but still captured a healthy chunk of the market’s upside.
- Current Value: $16,597.19 USD
- Net Deposits: $12,908.11 USD
- Total Returns: +$3,689.08 USD
- Time-Weighted Return: +41.82%
While it hasn’t seen the explosive doubling effects of the more aggressive models, a +41.82% TWR provides a very solid anchor for capital preservation while still yielding significant dollar returns ($3,689.08).
2. 2022-09 BR Very Aggressive (Powered by BlackRock)
This portfolio targets broad global equities using the BlackRock allocation model and continues to be the top performer in terms of percentage gains.
- Current Value: $15,642.44 USD
- Net Deposits: $10,629.42 USD
- Total Returns: +$5,013.02 USD
- Time-Weighted Return: +102.34%
Over the last 3 months, the portfolio trended steadily upward from its March base ($12k–$13k range), pushing cleanly past the $15.6k mark by the end of May. Crossing the +100% TWR milestone emphasizes the strength of staying consistently invested since late 2022.
3. 2022-10 SRI 36% (StashAway Risk Index)
My highest-risk StashAway proprietary portfolio tracks very closely with the BlackRock model and is on the verge of doubling its original time-weighted performance.
- Current Value: $14,966.95 USD
- Net Deposits: $10,410.90 USD
- Total Returns: +$4,556.05 USD
- Time-Weighted Return: +98.71%
The 3-month visual chart shows a mirror image of the global equity upswing, moving from a low point in early March to a strong closing peak at the end of May.
Key Takeaways from the May 2026 Data
Global markets had a wild and highly volatile ride over the last three months, and looking at the macroeconomic landscape explains exactly why my StashAway returns moved the way they did:
1. The US-Iran Geopolitical Rollercoaster & Energy Sector Rotation
The sharp plunge we saw at the beginning of the 3-month chart (early March 2026) was heavily driven by geopolitical shockwaves when the US launched military actions against Iran. This conflict triggered major fears of an inflationary wave due to rising crude costs and instability surrounding the critical Strait of Hormuz.
However, May 2026 brought a significant shift. Optimism surrounding a potential US-Iran diplomatic agreement and an interim ceasefire caused Brent crude to slide roughly 19% in May—its steepest monthly decline since the pandemic. While energy stocks cooled off from their year-to-date highs, this drop in oil prices successfully eased broader market inflation anxieties. The reduction in war-driven inflation pressures allowed global bond yields to pull back toward the end of May, acting as a direct tailwind that stabilized and boosted my 2022-05 SRI 16% fixed-income/balanced portfolio.
2. Tech and AI Momentum Offset the Global Volatility
Despite the geopolitical unrest and a highly volatile rate backdrop, global equities advanced aggressively in May (with the MSCI World Index rising 4.6% in USD terms). This rally was almost entirely led by narrow, massive gains concentrated in technology and AI-related companies, fueled by relentless capital spending and corporate earnings growth.
Because both my 2022-09 BlackRock Very Aggressive and 2022-10 SRI 36% portfolios heavily mirror global market benchmarks and maintain substantial allocations in broad tech-forward global equity ETFs, they capitalized beautifully on this tech surge. This structural exposure allowed them to completely shrug off the localized Middle East volatility and rocket upward to fresh highs (+102.34% and +98.71% TWR respectively).
3. Currency and Dollar Strength
The U.S. Dollar Index strengthened by another 0.9% in May, hovering near one-year highs as global investors favored safe-haven assets alongside U.S. large-caps. Because StashAway evaluates these specific portfolios using USD-denominated global assets, viewing my performance in USD has successfully isolated my returns from the structural fluctuations of the local Malaysian Ringgit (MYR), solidifying the real purchasing power of the gains.
Start Your Own Investment Journey
If you are looking to automate your investments, build long-term wealth, and take advantage of global equity markets without the stress of stock-picking, consider giving StashAway a try.
You can use my StashAway Referral Link to sign up and get a discount on your management fees!
How are your robo-advisor portfolios looking as we head into the middle of 2026? Let me know in the comments below!
*Disclaimer: This post is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Always do your own research before investing.*
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