Managed futures traders lost 1.19 per cent in December according to the Barclay CTA Index compiled by BarclayHedge. The Index was down 1.43 per cent in 2015.
“European Central Bank easing in December fell short of investor expectations, and markets promptly registered disappointment with sharp trend reversals in European equities, interest rates, and the Euro,” says Sol Waksman, founder and president of BarclayHedge.
Five of Barclay’s eight CTA indices lost ground in December. The Financial/Metals Traders Index was down 1.68 per cent, Diversified Traders lost 1.52 per cent, and Systematic Traders were down 1.47 per cent.
“CTAs lost approximately 2.5 percent in just two days — 3 and 4 December — and were able to recoup only a portion of those losses aided by declining energy prices,” says Waksman.
On the positive side, the Agricultural Traders Index gained 0.63 per cent in December, Discretionary Traders were up 0.40 per cent, and Currency Traders added 0.11 per cent.
In 2015, the Currency Traders Index led all managed futures sectors with a 4.96 per cent gain. Financial/Metals Traders were up 0.53 per cent for the year.
Diversified Traders gave up 4.14 per cent in 2015, Systematic Traders lost 2.80 per cent, and Agricultural Traders were down 0.40 per cent for the year.
The Barclay BTOP50 Index, which measures performance of the largest CTAs, lost 1.61 per cent in December, and was down 0.97 per cent at the end of 2015.
