The Barclay CTA Index, compiled by BarclayHedge, posted a 0.30 per cent rate of return in December. For the year the index is down 2.85 per cent.
Equity market volatility contributed to a challenging year for many managed futures indices. Currency volatility, global trade disputes and emerging market uncertainty provided further sources of stress. Only two of the Barclay Managed Futures indices had negative returns in December. The Cryptocurrency Traders Index fell 3.79 per cent and the Agricultural Traders Index declined 0.47 per cent.
December’s gains ranged from the MPI Barclay Elite Systematic Traders Index with a 1.77 per cent return, the Fin./Met. Traders Index up 1.14 per cent, the Diversified Traders Index up 0.65 per cent, the Systematic Traders Index up 0.65 per cent, the Currency Traders Index with a 0.38 per cent return, and the Discretionary Traders Index posting a 0.32 per cent return.
The year’s results weren’t as good for most of the indices, with only two posting positive results for 2018. The Currency Traders Index was up 5.10 per cent for the year, and the Discretionary Traders Index gained 2.01 per cent.
Indices posting losses on the year were led by the Cryptocurrency Traders Index, which was down 63.24 per cent through December. The MPI Barclay Elite Systematic Traders Index was down 5.12 per cent for the year, the Diversified Traders Index declined 4.71 per cent, the Systematic Traders Index dropped 4.16 per cent, the Fin./Met. Traders Index was down 3.20 per cent, and the Agricultural Traders Index was down 0.27 per cent.
