Barclay CTA Index Gains 1.90% in September; Agricultural Traders Up 7.33% After Three Quarters

FAIRFIELD, Iowa, October 18, 2010– Managed futures gained 1.90% in September according to the Barclay CTA Index compiled by BarclayHedge. The Index is now up 2.45% after three quarters in 2010.

“The best September for equities since WW II, a robust rally in commodities, and a deteriorating US Dollar all joined forces to create a profitable trading environment for CTAs,” says Sol Waksman, founder and president of BarclayHedge.

All of Barclay’s eight CTA indices had gains in September. The Barclay Diversified Traders Index gained 3.20%, Agricultural Traders were up 2.94%, Systematic Traders rose 2.29%, and Discretionary Traders gained 2.04%.

“Aided by a weakening US Dollar, prices for crude oil and its refined products, precious and industrial metals, and most grain markets surged during the month, fueling a more than eight percent rise in the Reuters CRB Commodity Index,” says Waksman.

“Seventy-three percent of the CTAs who have reported returns for September recorded a profitable month.”

The Barclay Agricultural Traders Index leads all managed futures strategies in 2010. After three quarters, Agricultural Traders have gained 7.33%. Currency Traders are up 2.89%, and Financial & Metals Traders have gained 2.86%.

The Barclay BTOP50 Index, which monitors performance of the largest traders, rose 1.64% in September, and has gained 4.59% in the first nine months of 2010.

Click here to view 30 years of Barclay CTA Index data.

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 5,900 hedge funds, funds of hedge funds, and managed futures programs. Each month Barclay provides updated performance rankings for 38 Hedge Fund categories and 16 CTA categories.

Institutional investors, brokerage firms and private banks worldwide utilize Barclay’s data as performance benchmarks for the hedge fund and managed futures industries.