FAIRFIELD, Iowa, November 13, 2008– Managed futures gained 3.38% in October, according to the Barclay CTA Index compiled by BarclayHedge.
“In October, investor concern turned from the financial sector to fear of a global recession,” says Sol Waksman, founder and president of BarclayHedge.
“Massive government intervention has had little effect on the major downward trends of the past several months.”
In October, the Barclay Diversified Traders Index jumped 6.06%. Diversified Traders have gained 20.82% in the first 10 months of 2008.
“Commodity prices continued to trend downward in October,” says Waksman. “The commodity-based CRB Index recorded its worst ever monthly decline, falling more than 22 percent.”
Systematic Traders gained 3.98% in October, Discretionary Traders were up 3.37%, and the Financial/Metals Index rose 3.12%.
“CTAs have performed remarkably well in 2008, especially when compared with the losses we’re seeing in hedge funds and global equity markets,” says Waksman.
“The Barclay CTA Index is up 10.70% through October, in contrast to a 19.34% loss for the Barclay Hedge Fund Index, and a 32.84% drop in the S&P 500.”
The Barclay BTOP50 Index, which monitors performance of the largest traders, rose 3.90% in October, and is now up 9.43% for the year.
Click here to view 28 years of Barclay CTA Index data.
Sol Waksman is an experienced media source, providing perspectives on hedge fund and managed futures trends. For quotes, commentary or background, call 641-472-3456 or email swaksman@barclayhedge.com.
BarclayHedge (formerly The Barclay Group) was founded in 1985 and actively tracks 6,700 hedge funds, funds of hedge funds, and managed futures programs. Barclay has created and regularly updates 18 proprietary hedge fund indexes and 8 managed futures indexes.
Institutional investors, brokerage firms and private banks worldwide utilize BarclayHedge data as performance benchmarks for the hedge fund and managed futures industries.