BarclayHedge
Hedge funds enjoyed a reasonable May according to the Barclay Hedge Fund Index, which rose 2.74%, the index remains in negative territory for the year, however, at -4.67% All 30 sub-indices were up for the month, led by the Emerging Markets Global Fixed Income Index at +6.03%, however year-to-date only six are positive – unsurprisingly […]
The Currency Traders Index was the best performing sub-index in the Barclay CTA Index for the second month in a row, but unlike in February when the Cryptocurrency Traders Index also went well, March was a nightmare, it being one of only two to see negatives returns The overall Barclay CTA Index was +2.04% in […]
Data from BarclayHedge shows that while CTAs generally returned -0.31% in February, currency and crypto managers were the strongest performers, achieving positive results. The BarclayHedge Currency Traders Index was up 2.2% in February with 85% of funds reporting results, this means the Index is up 3.45% for the first two months of 2020, the second […]
Commodity Trading Advisors (CTA) posted a 1.59% return in June, according to the Barclay CTA Index compiled by BarclayHedge, a division of Backstop Solutions. This follows a difficult month in May for these funds, when the Barclay CTA Index was down 0.19%. Year-to-date, the index is now up 3.84%. “Recession fears coupled with market anticipation […]
The Barclay CTA Index was unable to maintain momentum in May, dropping 0.19% and reflecting a negative month for these funds. In an issued release, BarclayHedge attributes general poor performance to global trade wars and tariffs, which have consequently led to damaged equity markets and oil prices. The Currency Traders Index was one of the […]
The Barclay CTA Index reflects a positive month for funds, gaining 0.85% in April 2019. Strong performance in recent months has allowed the Barclay CTA Index to gain 2.28% year-to-date. April also saw gains for nine out of 10 of the BarclayHedge’s CTA indices, bringing all ten into positive territory for 2019. “Four consecutive months […]
Data from BarclayHedge confirms previous Profit & Loss reporting that CTAs saw overall positive results in February, with the BarclayHedge CTA Index showing a 0.32% return last month.Five of eight of the CTA sectors tracked in the Barclay CTA indices were in positive territory for February, though the agriculture and currency sectors were a drag on performance.“CTA funds got in step with equity markets in February, and those able to sit out a week-long energy reversal at the beginning of the month were rewarded by month-end,” says Sol Waksman, president of BarclayHedge.
Managed futures stumbled out of the gate to start 2019, as the Barclay CTA Index, compiled by BarclayHedge, a division of Backstop Solutions, was down 0.43% for January .All but two of the BarclayHedge’s managed futures indices were in negative territory for January, as CTA funds were generally unable to build on their modest gains of the final two months of 2018.“After precipitous price declines in December, most CTAs found themselves on the wrong side of the street in January as energy and equity prices unexpectedly rose from the ashes of the previous month and rebounded sharply,” says Sol Waksman, president of BarclayHedge.
Hedge funds dipped 2.61% in December, according to the Barclay Hedge Fund Index compiled by BarclayHedge, a division of Backstop Solutions, meaning it was down 5.08% for the year.
The loss was less significant, however, than that of the S&P 500 Total Return Index, which dropped 9.03% in December, to end down 4.38% for 2018.
While lowering its projections for future interest rate hikes, the US Federal Reserve raised its benchmark rate a quarter-point in December. That, coupled with extreme volatility in equity markets was a major factor in December’s hedge fund downturn, BarclayHedge says.
The flash estimate for the Barclay CTA Index, compiled by BarclayHedge indicates a small profit of 0.01% in November. Year to date, the Index is down 3.00%.
“Although the November return for the Index was right at zero percent, the dispersion of returns of the underlying funds was quite large, ranging from a high of plus 30.74 percent to a low of minus 40.40 percent,” says Sol Waksman, founder and president of BarclayHedge.
Eight of the nine Barclay Managed Futures indices had a negative return in November. Cryptocurrency Traders fell 22.64%, MPI Barclay Elite Systematic Traders lost 1.64%, Agricultural Traders were down 0.50%, and Discretionary Traders lost 0.25%.
