Managed futures posted positive results overall in February with a 0.32 per cent return for the month according to the Barclay CTA Index. Despite February’s positive results, however, the index is down 0.16 per cent year to date.
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.
The Cryptocurrency Traders Index led the way in February with a 5.73 per cent return. Other gainers included the MPI Barclay Elite Systematic Traders Index with a 0.60 per cent return, the Diversified Traders Index which returned 0.39 per cent for the month, the Systematic Traders Index with a 0.29 per cent return and Discretionary gaining 0.16 per cent.
Sectors in negative territory for February included the Agricultural Traders Index which was down 0.65 per cent, the Financial/Metals Traders Index which was off 0.32 per cent for the month and the Currency Traders Index which lost 0.16 per cent.
“Although the Diversified, Systematic and Discretionary sectors were profitable in February, the specialist sectors; Agricultural, Financials, and Currency, didn’t fare as well. The difference was energy markets. The three specialist sectors don’t trade energy markets and consequently couldn’t benefit from the profitable trading opportunity they afforded,” says Waksman.
Only two sectors posted a positive return through the year’s first two months. The Discretionary Traders Index posted a 0.20 per cent return for the year to date, while the Cryptocurrency Traders Index was up 0.09 per cent. On the other side of the coin, the Diversified Traders Index was down 1.07 per cent through the first two months, the MPI Barclay Elite Systematic Traders Index was down 1.06 per cent and the Systematic Traders Index was off 0.67 per cent.
