FAIRFIELD, Iowa, September 22, 2015 — Managed futures traders lost 1.60% in August according to the Barclay CTA Index compiled by BarclayHedge. The Index is down 1.08% year to date.
“A global retreat from risk assets precipitated by China’s unexpected announcement of a currency devaluation weighed heavily on prices for commodities, equities, and Asian currencies,” says Sol Waksman, founder and president of BarclayHedge.
Six of Barclay’s eight CTA indices had losses in August. The Diversified Traders Index was down 1.69%, Systematic Traders lost 1.33%, Financial/Metals Traders were down 0.68%, while the Discretionary Traders Index slipped 0.22%.
“Crude oil prices, which had declined 35 percent since the beginning of July, rose 29 percent during the last five trading days in August, wreaking havoc upon systematic traders,” says Waksman.
On the positive side, Currency Traders gained 0.54% in August, and Agricultural Traders were up 0.35%.
At the end of August, Currency Traders are up 3.44% in 2015, Financial/Metals Traders have gained 2.11%, and Discretionary Traders have added 0.26%.
The Diversified Traders Index has lost 3.24% year to date, and Systematic Traders are down 1.82%.
The Barclay BTOP50 Index, which measures performance of the largest CTAs, lost 1.81% in August, following a 2.45% gain in July. The BTOP50 Index is currently down 2.59% for the year.
Click here to view 35 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 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.