Managed futures funds posted a positive month in February gaining 1.76 per cent, according to the Barclay CTA Index, compiled by BarclayHedge, a division of Backstop Solutions.
For the year to date, CTAs returned 1.68 per cent through the end of February.
“Signs of economic recovery coupled with the prospects for passage of a $1.9 trillion covid relief bill in the US Senate fed investor hopes and prompted gains in equity and commodity markets,” says Sol Waksman, president of BarclayHedge. “Global stock indices rose to new all-time highs, crude oil and copper made multi-year highs and the uptrend in crop prices that began last summer extended for another month.”
All but one of the sectors tracked in the Barclay CTA Indices were in the black in February. The Cryptocurrency Traders Index set the pace for the month gaining 33.16 per cent while the Diversified Traders Index advanced 2.78 per cent and the MPI Barclay Elite Systematic Traders Index returned 2.51 per cent. Other gainers included the Systematic Traders Index, up 1.93 per cent, and the Discretionary Traders Index, returning 1.46 per cent.
The lone outlier for the month was the Currency Traders Index, down 0.20 per cent.
For the year to date, the Cryptocurrency Traders Index was up 72.83 per cent through the end of February, the Diversified Traders Index gained 2.86 per cent, the Discretionary Traders Index advanced 2.43 per cent, the Agricultural Traders Index returned 1.88 per cent and the MPI Barclay Elite Systematic Traders Index was up 1.60 per cent.
Losing ground for the year were the Currency Traders Index, down 0.59 per cent, and the Financial & Metals Traders Index, losing 0.39 per cent.
The Barclay BTOP50 Index, which tracks the performance of the largest CTAs that are open for new investment, gained 2.86 per cent in February. For the year to date, the BTOP50 is up 1.83 per cent.
