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Where IPCAik is the score of the ith genotype (or environment) in the kth IPCA, and EPk is the amount of the variance explained by the kth IPCA. According to this statistic, a genotype with the lowest WAASB value is considered the most stable. Furthermore, for identifying highly productive and stable genotypes, we can also use a biplot based on the WAASB and grain yield. Indeed, in this way, all the estimated IPCA axes contribute to identifying the stability in a bi-dimensional plot. Is the mean grain yield of genotype ith; X¯.j is the mean grain yield of the environment jth; X¯.. Is the grand mean; SSGE is GEI sum square; and p and q are the numbers of genotypes and environments, respectively.

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Koundinya et al. [74] used the WAASB parameter to select of stable cassava genotypes under drought environments. Experiments measuring the interaction between genotypes and environments measure the spatial (e.g., locations) and temporal (e.g., years) separation and/or combination of these factors. The genotype-by-environment interaction (GEI) is very important in plant breeding programs. Over the past six decades, the propensity to model the GEI led to the development of several models and mathematical methods for deciphering GEI in multi-environmental trials (METs) called “stability analyses”. However, its size is hidden by the contribution of improved management in the yield increase, and for this reason comparisons of new with old varieties in a single experiment could reveal its real size.

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• The divisor ensures that these non-economic factors do not affect the index.
• Afzl et al. [51] reported that among non-parametric stability statistics, S(1), S(3), S(6,) and NP(4) with a dynamic concept are superior to evaluate high-yielding and stable safflower genotypes.
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• Models and/or methods based on G + GE are more repeatable if they are calculated within mega-environments because mean yield is more repeatable.
• For instance, Zali et al. [42] used a set of AMMI-based stability statistics to identify of most stable chickpea genotypes.
• It has more than $1.3 billion in total net assets and a 0.95% expense ratio, higher than any fund on this list.

To appreciate how stable value funds operate, it’s useful to first review the mechanics of how bond funds perform as a bond fund is the core component of a stable value fund. While high-quality bond funds are low-risk investments that are much less volatile than stocks, there’s still no guarantee that the value of a bond fund won’t decline when interest rates rise. Perhaps turn to stable value funds, a potential goldilocks solution that may already be available in your workplace retirement plan. Thematic investors wanting to capitalize on a long-term secular trend should check out the ROBO Global Robotics and Automation Index ETF (ROBO -0.54%). The index fund’s benchmark is the Robo Global Robotics and Automation Index, which tracks 77 robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence (AI) companies.

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Founded in 1993, The Motley Fool is a financial services company dedicated to making the world smarter, happier, and richer. The Motley Fool reaches millions of people every month through our premium investing solutions, free guidance and market analysis on Fool.com, top-rated podcasts, and non-profit The Motley Fool Foundation. The value of the characteristic function at some value t is the complex conjugate of its value at −t as it should be so that the probability distribution function will be real. The capability of SAS and R macro- and script codes in computing stability statistics. Unlike ASI, MASI computes stability value considering all significant IPCAs in the AMMI model.

• REITs typically pay high dividends because they’re required to disburse at least 90% of their taxable income.
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• The genotype that occurred mostly in the top third (high top value) was considered a widely adapted cultivar.
• Based on this statistic, the genotypes that show a lower value for 𝜃𝑖 are considered more stable.
• Because it invests primarily in REITs, the ETF is also attractive to dividend investors.
• For EV1, N is one; for EVV, N is the number of IPC that retain in the AMMI model via validation procedures; and for EVF, N is the number of IPC that retain the AMMI model via F-test.
• In the race for the lowest of the low-cost index funds, this Fidelity fund made news by being among the first to charge no annual expenses.
• This method is a stratified ranking approach that includes scoring the number of test environments in which each entry ranked in the LOW (bottom), MID (middle), and TOP (top) thirds of trial entries.

1. GGE Biplot Software

It seems that to allow better decisions on the selection of the superior genotypes, a complex of parametric and non-parametric stability statistics can be used as an additional tool. Hence, in each experiment, attention to the causes of GEI is very important and should be dissected. In this review, we tried to gather all statistical models and their related statistics that can help breeders for their breeding aims. Furthermore, we anticipate that the presented information regarding software and packages can help breeders to accelerate their data analysis and to compare different models and methods. In this experiment, AMMI-based stability parameters such as ASI, ASV, ASTAB, AVAMGE, Da, EV, FA, MASI, and SIPC showed a positive and significant correlation with mean yield. Moreover, they stated that although the mentioned parameters have a dynamic concept of stability, only some of them, such as SIPC, MASI, and MASV, were useful for the identification of stable high-yielding genotypes.

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Interest in AI stocks has also surged since late 2022, when ChatGPT launched. The ETF finished 2023 with a gain of almost 24% but was down about 4.5% after the first quarter of 2024. Because it invests primarily in REITs, the ETF is also attractive to dividend investors.

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The S&P 500 is highly influential as a measure of the health of the stock markets. It also is used as the basis for many index mutual funds and exchange-traded funds. These funds mirror the contents of the index, buying the same stocks in the same amounts as are represented in the index. That said, just because you have a 401(k) doesn’t mean you’ll be able to invest in a stable value fund. According to the Plan Sponsor Council of America, more than 30% of plans lack stable value fund offerings, though this number shrinks for larger plans with at 1,000 participants. But considering about 85% of the world’s population lives in developing countries, investors who have a long-term focus and are comfortable with volatility seriously may want to consider investing in this fund.

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Where λn and γin are the eigenvalue of the nth IPCA and the eigenvector value for the ith genotype. A genotype is considered to be more stable when the value of this statistic is lower. Stable Index List of parametric and non-parametric stability statistics to analyze GEI effect in METs experiments. The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only.

• The first theory of this methodology was described by Yan [76], and then numerous studies used this method and reported its advantage compared with other numerical methods.
• Apple’s weighting is determined by taking its market capitalization and dividing it by the total index market cap.
• Becker [8] stated that this concept is analogous to the agronomic concept of stability, and most breeders prefer to apply it to select high yielding genotypes in their METs.
• The GGEIN parameter approximates the genotype’s contribution to the GEI [78].
• Furthermore, political stability is important because it allows countries to form alliances with others.
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• Piepho [105] published the first SAS’s code, which only was able to calculate the Shukla’s stability variance (σ2), coefficient of variance (CV), and deviation from regression (Sdi2).

Simulation of stable variates

When interest rates rise—and especially when bond yields are starting from very low levels—a bond fund’s total return can occasionally turn negative. That happens if the decline in bond prices is more than the yield the fund is earning. The stocks of companies in emerging markets have historically underperformed compared to U.S. stocks. Between 2014 and 2023, the Schwab emerging market funds had total returns of about 33% on a combined basis.

1. Non-Parametric Stability Statistics

In the above equation, IPCAn and θn2 are the scores of the nth IPCA and the percentage sum of square explained by the nth IPCAs effects, respectively. Raju [38] proposed a measure of stability that may be viewed as Wricke’s ecovalance (W2). Because this statistic is calculated based on the AMMI model, it is denoted by W(AMMI).

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In this section we address how this methodology could help the breeder to interpret the GEI effect, and to select the ideal genotypes across different environments with high yield and the most stability. In the above formulas, GVij, μj, and E are the genotypic values (BLUP) for the ith genotype in the jth environment, the grand mean for each environment j, and the number of environments, respectively. As has been mentioned by Resende et al. [40], the highest values of these parameters are suitable. Where bi is slope regression, Xij is the grain yield of genotype ith in environment jth; X¯i. Is the mean grain yield of genotype ith; X¯.j is the mean grain yield of the environment jth; and X¯..

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The fund was up about 12% as of mid-May 2024, almost identical to the S&P 500 index’s year-to-date gains. Usually when the PSI is large, the separation between distributions become more pronounced. ‘Actual %’ points to the current data (that belongs to a more recent model scoring). Scoring runs means, the trained model being used to make predictions on batches of data over time. More popular use of PSI now is to keep a tab on the distribution of the model’s predictions during subsequent scoring runs.

This is clear that the last statistics will be less precise than W(AMMI), as is evident from the fact that they could not exploit the information in detail. In other words, the reliability of a stability statistic improves with the increase in the number of axes retained in the model. For EV1, N is one; for EVV, N is the number of IPC that retain in the AMMI model via validation procedures; and for EVF, N is the number of IPC that retain the AMMI model via F-test. Genotypes with the lowest values for these statistics are identified as the most stable.

Verma and Singh [67] showed that among a collection of parametric AMMI- and BLUP-based stability parameters, the superiority indices would provide reliable estimates of genotype performance. Among parametric methods, YSI and HMRPGV simultaneously provide a status of stability and productivity. Indeed, this parameter provides simultaneous selection for productivity and phenotypic stability in the context of a mixed model. Verma and Singh [67] identified the high-yielding and stable genotypes of wheat using HMRPGV parameter. Agyeman et al. [70] used the REML and BLUP model to test the stability of a set of maize genotypes in a MET trial.

• In this section we address how this methodology could help the breeder to interpret the GEI effect, and to select the ideal genotypes across different environments with high yield and the most stability.
• NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments.
• Like its benchmark index, the Vanguard Russell 2000 ETF has dropped by more than 2% during the first four months of 2024, as small-cap stocks have struggled.
• For instance, Ahmadi et al. [46] used a set of non-parametric methods to investigate stability of grain and forage yields in 14 advanced lines of grass pea in semi-warm regions of Iran for three consecutive years.
• † AMMI model and related biplots; †† the biplot obtained by interpreting GEI effect.

GENES is a software package used for data analysis and processing with different biometric models for genetic studies applied to plant and animal breeding. It allows parametric and non-parametric stability statistics to be computed and presents integration with MS Word, MS Excel and Paint. It is also compatible with the free software R and Matlab, through the supply of useful scripts available for complementary analyses in different areas [99].

Becker [8] stated that this concept is analogous to the agronomic concept of stability, and most breeders prefer to apply it to select high yielding genotypes in their METs. However, it is worth noting that there is no absolute decision on classifying stability parameters based on dynamic and static concepts. For instance, in many studies, some stability parameters have a dynamic concept due to their correlation with yield performance. Hence, we believe that dynamic and static concepts depend on the nature of data and test environments and that classifying them in an absolute scale is not logical. Stability analyses are evolving continuously to add precision to the GEI component.

The index structure can mask strength or weakness in smaller companies if the movements diverge from those of larger-cap companies. In 2022, the fund fell more than 18%, almost identical to the S&P 500’s losses for the year. Like its benchmark index, the fund was up about 12% in the first four-and-a-half months of 2024.

Given the added cost of the insurance component in a stable value fund, the expense ratio may be higher than the cost of a comparable core bond fund. But if there’s a wide gap you need to decide if it’s worth the extra cost for the security a stable value fund provides. When looking to see if your 401(k) offers stable value funds, keep in mind that they come in a variety of names. Look for fund names that riff on terms such as principal preservation, capital accumulation or guaranteed income.

The best index funds can help you build wealth by diversifying your portfolio while minimizing your fees. Investing in an index fund is less risky than investing in individual stocks or bonds because index funds often hold hundreds of financial securities. Index funds spread your investment risk across the stocks or bonds of many different individual companies. Similar to the EV statistic, for SIPC1, N is one; for SIPCV, N is the number of IPCs that are retained in the AMMI model via validation procedures; for SIPCF, N is the number of IPCs that retain in the AMMI model via F-tests. Λn and γin are the eigen value of the nth IPCA that is retained in the AMMI model and the eigenvector for the ith genotype from the nth IPCA, respectively. Where n is the number of environments, Xij is the yield of the ith genotype in the jth environment, and Mj is the maximum response (yield) among all genotypes in the jth environment.

Volatility profiles based on trailing-three-year calculations of the standard deviation of service investment returns. More money has been lost waiting to buy stocks than in holding stocks through downturns. Suppose blue was expected, and the red was actual, on plotting the distributions of the variables, one with larger PSI will have a larger gap between actuals and expected. In addition to monitoring the scoring variable, you also want to calculate the PSI for features as well. Because if a feature with strong predictive power is prone to rapid changes, we might rethink about having those features in the model.

The number of exchange-traded funds (ETFs) on the U.S. markets that track the index. S&P 500 ETFs have total assets under management (AUM) of about $1.12 trillion as of July 9, 2023. The fund has 1,995 holdings, with the largest concentrations in China, India, Taiwan, Brazil, and Saudi Arabia. Its benchmark index is the MSCI US Investable Market Real Estate 25/50 Index, which broadly tracks equity REITs in the U.S. Although the index includes a few real estate management and development companies, it consists mostly of equity REITs, which own and operate income-producing real estate. Dividend-paying stocks tend to be less volatile compared to the overall stock market.

Ultimately, though, how much of your bond allocation you might want to move into stable value funds is a matter of personal choice, based on your risk tolerance. If you really hate the idea of any price volatility, you might want to invest more of the fixed income portion of your portfolio in a stable value fund than in a core bond fund. Stable value funds typically invest in short-term US government bonds and high-quality corporate bonds. The duration for stable value funds is typically around three years or so. The longer a fund’s duration, the more sensitive it is to interest rate moves.