Managed futures funds finished 2020 with another positive month and gained 2.49% in December, according to the Barclay CTA Index, compiled by BarclayHedge, a division of Backstop Solutions. For the year, CTAs returned 5.18%.

“Global equity and commodity markets benefitted from robust price rallies while safe haven assets such as bonds and the U.S. dollar declined,” said Sol Waksman, president of BarclayHedge. “Progress on economic stimulus measures and coronavirus vaccine approvals raised hopes that a return to normalcy was on the way.”

All sectors tracked in the Barclay CTA Indices were in the black for December. The Cryptocurrency Traders Index set the pace gaining 19.66%, while the MPI Barclay Elite Systematic Traders Index returned 4.25%. The Diversified Traders Index advanced 3.87%, the Systematic Traders Index was up 2.71% and the Discretionary Traders Index gained 2.05%.

In similar fashion, all managed futures sectors posted 12-month gains in 2020. The Cryptocurrency Traders Index led the way returning 171.32% for the year, followed by the Agricultural Traders Index, up 14.20%, and the Discretionary Traders Index, gaining 8.56%. The Diversified Traders Index returned 6.57% in 2020, while the Systematic Traders Index advanced 5.26%.

The Barclay BTOP50 Index, which tracks the performance of the largest CTAs that are open for new investment, returned 4.24% in December and ended the year with a gain of 5.01%.

For a complete table of Barclay CTA Index results as well as historical data, click here.

About Backstop Solutions

Backstop’s mission is to help the institutional investment industry use time to its fullest potential. We develop technology to simplify and streamline otherwise time-consuming tasks and processes, enabling our clients to quickly and easily access, share and manage the knowledge that’s critical to their day-to-day business success. Backstop provides its industry-leading cloud-based productivity suite to investment consultants, pensions, funds of funds, family offices, endowments, foundations, private equity, hedge funds and real estate investment firms.

BarclayHedge, a division of Backstop, currently maintains data on more than 7,100 hedge funds, funds of funds and CTAs. The BarclayHedge Indices are utilized by institutional investors, brokerage firms and private banks worldwide as performance benchmarks for the hedge fund and managed futures industries.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Sol Waksman

BarclayHedge