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Investors can utilize
managed futures
with a view to reducing
volatility in their
overall investment
portfolio. There's
a low correlation
between the performance
of managed futures
and stock prices
or interest rates.
Through a managed
futures investment,
investors have access
to futures markets
around the globe.
Many of these markets
are now electronically
traded and offer
sophisticated risk
management tools.
CTAs trade a host
of liquid global
markets ranging
from currencies
to stock indices,
agricultural commodities,
precious metals,
base metals, interest
rate products and
so on.
Unlike other asset
classes, where profits
depend solely on
price appreciation,
opportunities in
commodity futures
trading exist in
both rising and
falling markets.
Option strategies
can also be employed
by CTAs seeking
better returns.
Thomas Schneeweis,
Professor of Finance
at the Center for
International Securities
and Derivatives
Markets (CISDM)
at the University
of Massachusetts,
Amherst released
a benchmark study
in June 2002 titled
“The Benefits of
Managed Futures”
which supported
use of managed futures
as a way to reduce
portfolio volatility
risk. It states
that managed futures:
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enhance
portfolio
returns
in economic
environments
in which
traditional
stock
and
bond
investment
media
offer
limited
opportunities,
and
that
managed
futures
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participate
in a
wide
variety
of new
financial
products
and
markets
not
available
in traditional
investor
products
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In his conclusion
Professor Schneeweis
wrote:
“Thus managed futures
are shown on average
to have a low return
correlation with
traditional stock
and bond markets
as well as many
hedge fund strategies
and to offer investors
the potential for
reduced portfolio
risk and enhance
investment return.
As important for
properly constructed
portfolios, managed
futures are also
shown to offer unique
downside risk control
with upside return
potential.
Simply put, the
logical extension
of using investment
managers with specialized
knowledge of traditional
markets to obtain
maximum return/risk
tradeoffs is to
add specialized
managers who can
obtain the unique
returns in market
conditions and types
of securities not
generally available
to traditional asset
managers; that is,
managed futures.”
THE RISK OF TRADING
FUTURES, OPTIONS
AND OFF-EXCHANGE
FOREX CAN BE SUBSTANTIAL.
PAST RESULTS ARE
NOT NECESSARILY
INDICATIVE OF FUTURE
RESULTS.
Disclosure Statement
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