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Barclay CTA Index Down 1.48% in September According to Backstop BarclayHedge

Trends prove hard to find during the month making it difficult for many CTAs to find their footing

Managed futures funds reversed course from the prior month’s gains in September and declined 1.48% according to the Barclay CTA Index compiled by BarclayHedge, a division of Backstop Solutions. For the year-to-date, CTA funds were up 6.08% through the end of September.

“The trend is your friend is a timeworn cliché among momentum traders in futures markets,” said Sol Waksman, president of BarclayHedge. “Friends were few and far apart in September as Treasury yields and agricultural markets rebounded from the previous month, gold’s uptrend stalled as prices dropped, and crude oil, which had been trending downwards, spiked up 16% on September 16 when Iranian missiles struck a Saudi refinery. Gains from profitable trades were not enough to overcome the losers for 68% of the funds in the BarclayHedge CTA Database.”

Only two sectors were profitable in September. The Agricultural Traders Index gained 0.52% and the Discretionary Traders Index was up 0.20%.

Far more sectors were in the red for the month. The Cryptocurrency Traders Index lost 4.80%, the Diversified Traders Index posted a 2.70% decline, the MPI Barclay Elite Systematic Traders Index dropped 2.19%, the Systematic Traders Index fell 2.05% and the Currency Traders Index shed 0.30%.

Year-to-date, all CTA sectors are in the black through September. The Cryptocurrency Traders Index remains the top gainer with a 50.76% return. The MPI Barclay Elite Systematic Traders Index has gained 10.01%, the Diversified Traders Index is up 6.03%, and the Systematic Traders Index has risen by 5.90% through the end of September.

The Barclay BTOP50 Index, which tracks the performance of the largest CTAs that are still open for new investment lost 3.08% and has gained 9.19% year-to-date through September.

For a complete table of Barclay CTA Index results as well as historical data, click here.

About Backstop Solutions

Backstop’s mission is to help the institutional investment industry use time to its fullest potential. We develop technology to simplify and streamline otherwise time-consuming tasks and processes, enabling our clients to quickly and easily access, share and manage the knowledge that’s critical to their day-to-day business success. Backstop provides its industry-leading cloud-based productivity suite to investment consultants, pensions, funds of funds, family offices, endowments, foundations, private equity, hedge funds and real estate investment firms.

BarclayHedge, a division of Backstop, currently maintains data on more than 7,100 hedge funds, funds of funds, and CTAs. The BarclayHedge Indices are utilized by institutional investors, brokerage firms and private banks worldwide as performance benchmarks for the hedge fund and managed futures industries.

MEDIA CONTACT: 

Sol Waksman 

BarclayHedge, a division of Backstop Solutions Group 

(641) 472-3456 

swaksman@barclayhedge.com