BarclayHedge Blog

FAIRFIELD, Iowa, December 16, 2008– Managed futures gained another 1.54% in November, according to the Barclay CTA Index compiled by BarclayHedge.

Through November the CTA Index has gained 12.69 percent, in stark contrast to a 21.27 percent loss for hedge funds and the 37.66 percent collapse in the S&P 500.

“CTAs appear to be on track to achieve their best annual performance since 1995 when the Barclay CTA Index gained 13.64 percent,” says Sol Waksman, founder and president of BarclayHedge.

In November, the Barclay Financial/Metals Index gained 1.98%, Systematic Traders were up 1.87%, and the Diversified Traders Index rose 1.84%.

“In response to sharp declines in growth, governments focused on deflation, lowered interest rates, and bond prices rallied,” says Waksman.

Barclay’s Diversified Traders Index has gained 24.54% year-to-date, Systematic Traders are up 16.50%, and Discretionary Traders have gained 12.17%.

“As the economy continued to slow, the down-trend in commodities was extended as demand and prices for energy products, base metals, and agricultural products all declined,” says Waksman.

“Traders that shorted stock index futures had been able to take substantial profits as the S&P 500 dropped to levels not seen in more than a decade.”

The Barclay BTOP50 Index, which monitors performance of the largest traders, gained 1.74% in November and is up 11.86% year-to-date.

Click here to view 28 years of Barclay CTA Index data.

Sol Waksman is an experienced media source, providing perspectives on hedge fund and managed futures trends. For quotes, commentary or background, call 641-472-3456 or email swaksman@barclayhedge.com.

BarclayHedge (formerly The Barclay Group) was founded in 1985 and actively tracks more than 6,600 hedge funds, funds of hedge funds, and managed futures programs. Barclay has created and regularly updates 18 proprietary hedge fund indexes and eight managed futures indexes.

Institutional investors, brokerage firms and private banks worldwide utilize BarclayHedge data as performance benchmarks for the hedge fund and managed futures industries.

Labels: BarclayHedge press release, managed futures

# posted by BarclayHedge @ 3:40 PM