FAIRFIELD, Iowa, August 17, 2015 — Managed futures traders gained 0.87% in July according to the Barclay CTA Index compiled by BarclayHedge. The Index is up 0.48% year to date.
“A rally in the value of the US Dollar sparked by the expectation of imminent Fed tightening, coupled with fears of China joining Japan and the Eurozone on the loosening bandwagon generated gains for CTAs," says Sol Waksman, founder and president of BarclayHedge.
“Short commodity positions also contributed sizeable gains as the S&P GSCI plunged 14.3 percent fueled by the rising US Dollar, slowing demand from China, and too much oil."
Seven of Barclay’s eight CTA indices had gains in July. The Diversified Traders Index was up 1.14%, Systematic Traders gained 0.98%, Financial/Metals Traders added 0.76%, and Currency Traders gained 0.64%.
The Agricultural Traders Index was down 0.80%, and was the only managed futures sector with a loss in July.“
"Grain prices have been under a lot of pressure due to favorable weather conditions for crop growth in the US," says Waksman.
After seven months in 2015, Financial/Metals Traders have gained 2.82%, Currency Traders are up 2.73%, and Discretionary Traders have added 0.61%.
The Diversified Traders Index is down 1.36% for the year, Systematic Traders have lost 0.48%, and the Agricultural Traders Index has moved into negative territory with a 0.44% year to date loss.
The Barclay BTOP50 Index, which measures performance of the largest CTAs, gained 2.61% in July, but remains down 0.64% at the end of seven months.
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Sol Waksman is an experienced media source, providing perspectives on hedge fund and managed futures trends. For more commentary or background, call 641-472-3456 or email swaksman@barclayhedge.com.
BarclayHedge is the global leader in providing independent, research-based information services to the alternative investment industry. Founded in 1985, Barclay currently maintains data on more than 6,100 hedge funds, fund of funds, and CTAs. No one has been in the business of collecting alternative investment data longer than BarclayHedge.
Institutional investors, brokerage firms, and private banks worldwide utilize BarclayHedge indices as performance benchmarks for the hedge fund and managed futures industries.