diff --git a/zipline/finance/performance.py b/zipline/finance/performance.py
index 8d0325de..78130c05 100644
--- a/zipline/finance/performance.py
+++ b/zipline/finance/performance.py
@@ -136,10 +136,8 @@ import datetime
 import pytz
 import math
 
-from zipline.utils.protocol_utils import ndict
 import zipline.protocol as zp
 import zipline.finance.risk as risk
-from zipline.protocol import Portfolio
 
 log = logbook.Logger('Performance')
 
@@ -443,6 +441,12 @@ class PerformancePeriod(object):
 
         self.calculate_performance()
 
+        # An object to recycle via assigning new values
+        # when returning portfolio information.
+        # So as not to avoid creating a new object for each event
+        self._portfolio_store = zp.Portfolio()
+        self._positions_store = zp.Positions()
+
     def calculate_performance(self):
         self.ending_value = self.calculate_positions_value()
 
@@ -544,25 +548,33 @@ class PerformancePeriod(object):
         PerformancePeriod, and in this method we rename some
         fields for usability and remove extraneous fields.
         """
-        return Portfolio({
-            'capital_used': self.period_capital_used,
-            'starting_cash': self.starting_cash,
-            'portfolio_value': self.ending_cash + self.ending_value,
-            'pnl': self.pnl,
-            'returns': self.returns,
-            'cash': self.ending_cash,
-            'start_date': self.period_open,
-            'positions': self.get_positions(),
-            'positions_value': self.ending_value
-        })
+        # Recycles containing objects' Portfolio object
+        # which is used for returning values.
+        # as_portfolio is called in an inner loop,
+        # so repeated object creation becomes too expensive
+        portfolio = self._portfolio_store
+        portfolio.capital_used = self.period_capital_used,
+        portfolio.starting_cash = self.starting_cash
+        portfolio.portfolio_value = self.ending_cash + self.ending_value
+        portfolio.pnl = self.pnl
+        portfolio.returns = self.returns
+        portfolio.cash = self.ending_cash
+        portfolio.start_date = self.period_open
+        portfolio.positions = self.get_positions()
+        portfolio.positions_value = self.ending_value
+        return portfolio
 
     def get_positions(self):
 
-        positions = ndict(internal=position_ndict())
+        positions = self._positions_store
 
         for sid, pos in self.positions.iteritems():
-            cur = pos.to_dict()
-            positions[sid] = ndict(cur)
+            if sid not in positions:
+                positions[sid] = zp.Position(sid)
+            position = positions[sid]
+            position.amount = pos.amount
+            position.cost_basis = pos.cost_basis
+            position.last_sale_price = pos.last_sale_price
 
         return positions
 
@@ -580,11 +592,3 @@ class positiondict(dict):
         pos = Position(key)
         self[key] = pos
         return pos
-
-
-class position_ndict(dict):
-
-    def __missing__(self, key):
-        pos = Position(key)
-        self[key] = ndict(pos.to_dict())
-        return pos
diff --git a/zipline/protocol.py b/zipline/protocol.py
index 9e71d3ae..25f1b90b 100644
--- a/zipline/protocol.py
+++ b/zipline/protocol.py
@@ -65,3 +65,23 @@ class Portfolio(object):
 
     def __repr__(self):
         return "Portfolio({0})".format(self.__dict__)
+
+
+class Position(object):
+
+    def __init__(self, sid):
+        self.sid = sid
+        self.amount = 0
+        self.cost_basis = 0.0  # per share
+        self.last_sale_price = 0.0
+
+    def __repr__(self):
+        return "Position({0})".format(self.__dict__)
+
+
+class Positions(dict):
+
+    def __missing__(self, key):
+        pos = Position(key)
+        self[key] = pos
+        return pos