FAIRFIELD, Iowa, February 14, 2013 — Managed futures gained 1.01% in January according to the Barclay CTA Index compiled by BarclayHedge.
“CTAs got a boost this month from the ‘Abe trade’ (short the Japanese Yen and long the Nikkei or TOPIX), named for the dovish monetary bent of Japan’s new prime minister, Shinzo Abe,” says Sol Waksman, founder and president of BarclayHedge.
Seven of Barclay’s eight CTA indices had a positive return in January. The Diversified Traders Index was up 1.64%, Systematic Traders gained 1.22%, Agricultural Traders were up 0.47%, and Discretionary Traders added 0.34%.
“As global economic sentiment improved and interest rates rose, investors returned to risk-on mode and bid up prices for equities and commodities,” says Waksman.
The only managed futures strategy to lose ground in January was the Financial & Metal Traders Index, which was down 0.04% at month end.
The Barclay BTOP50 Index, which measures performance of the largest CTAs, gained 1.38% in January.
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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 was founded in 1985 and actively tracks more than 6,200 hedge funds, funds of hedge funds, and managed futures programs. Each month Barclay provides updated performance rankings for 38 Hedge Fund categories, 16 CTA categories, and 7 UCITS categories.
Institutional investors, brokerage firms, and private banks worldwide utilize BarclayHedge indices as performance benchmarks for the hedge fund and managed futures industries.