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Barclay CTA Index Gains 2.23% in August According to Backstop BarclayHedge

Bond market rally, ag selling and gold buying help managed futures gain as equity markets stumble

An ongoing bond market rally that pushed 30-year US Treasury and German bond yields to all-time lows helped to propel managed futures funds to a profitable August with CTA funds returning 2.23% according to the Barclay CTA Index compiled by BarclayHedge, a division of Backstop Solutions.

Year-to-date, CTA funds are up 7.63% through the end of August.

“As Treasury yields dropped, the yield curve inverted for the first time since 2007, equity markets stumbled and gold prices soared to multi-year highs,” said Sol Waksman, president of BarclayHedge. “Agricultural markets sold off and corn dropped 10% based on USDA predictions of a bumper crop.”

All but two CTA sectors were in positive territory for August. Leading the way were the Diversified Traders Index gaining 3.17% for the month, the MPI Barclay Elite Systematic Traders Index advancing 2.54%, the Systematic Traders Index returning 2.54%, and the Discretionary Traders Index gaining 0.86%.

Sectors in the red for the month were the Cryptocurrency Traders Index, down 7.24%, and the Agricultural Traders Index, dropping 0.35% in August.

“Although agricultural traders seem to have been caught off guard by the surprise finding in August’s crop report, momentum-driven diversified portfolios were well-positioned to profit,” said Waksman.

All CTA sectors but the Agricultural Traders Index remain in the black for the year-to-date through the end of August. The Cryptocurrency Traders Index continues to lead the way with a 58.61% gain. The MPI Barclay Elite Systematic Traders Index is up 12.47%, the Diversified Traders Index has advanced 8.60%, and the Systematic Traders Index has gained 7.94%.

The Barclay BTOP50 Index, which tracks the performance of the largest CTAs that are still open for new investment, has gained 11.87% through the end of August.

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