Currency Traders End Year on Strong Note

Currency traders had a strong end to a good year according to Barclayhedge, the firm’s Currency Traders Index adding 2.01% in December to end the year at +11.11% – easily the best performing fiat sub-index.

This represents the best returns for currency managers since 1997, when the Index returned 11.35%, it is also the first time it has produced double digit returns since 2003. Aside from -0.8% in 2017, the Index has provided a positive return every year since 2006.

The headline Barclay CTA Index was +0.2% in December, with just over 87% of funds reporting results, bringing 2024 to +3.42%. All sub-indices ended the year in the black, with the Cryptocurrency Traders Index predictably leading the way at +53.97% (-3.54% in December).

The next best 2024 performance came from the MPI Barclays Elite Systematic Traders Index, which rose 0.93% in December, for +3.81% on the year, this was followed by the Systematic Traders Index at +3.37%. Systematic outperformed discretionary traders (according to Barclayhedge anyway!), with the latter ending the year +2.19%, after dropping 0.19% in December.

Estimated performance for the BTOP50 Index, which seeks to replicate the overall composition of the managed futures industry with regard to trading style and overall market exposure, was +1.3% in December, bringing year-to-date returns to +5.73%.

Elsewhere, the SG Macro Trading Index ended the year at +4.17% after a +0.26% return in December, but here discretionary traders outperformed their systematic brethren, in spite of a shaky end to the year.

The SG Macro Trading Index (Discretionary) lost 0.39% in December to end the year +4.35%, while the Macro Trading Index (Quantitative) gained 1.25% to end the year at +3.67%.