When is enough, enough? That’s the question you have to be repeating to yourself if you’re a Gold Bull. Or maybe, the better question is, that’s what you have to be thinking if you’re invested in a long Gold ETF. Upon surfing the interwebs for useful financial commentary and statistics, we stumbled upon the Worst 10 ETF performer’s YTD from Index Universe… and can you guess what most of them had in common?
Category: Managed Futures
20
Nov
2013
Managed Futures Linkfest
Here’s what’s happening in the world of managed futures this week.
19
Nov
2013
Nobody ever lost money in a Spreadsheet
After decades of experience with trading systems and CTA’s, we are comfortable with the phrase (Past Performance is not necessarily indicative of future results), as well as disclaimers for hypothetical performance due to back testing. But what irks us, is when other advisors/investors aren’t held to the same standard. And it seems that back testing is being applied to the $1.7 trillion ETF market. And even if back testing is done correctly (which is a difficult task to accomplish), there are still some pitfalls.
15
Nov
2013
Asset Class Scoreboard — October
No surprise here… U.S and World stocks remain on top for their performances so far throughout 2013… It’s pleasant to see Managed futures show a positive performance number in October, moving up a position on the scoreboard. {Disclaimer: past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results}. Here’s a look at the rest of the asset classes YTD.
14
Nov
2013
Managed Futures Linkfest
CME is set to raise transaction fees starting in 2014, President Obama nominates Timothy Massad as the new head of the CFTC, and 165 years of American Agricultural Capitalism.
13
Nov
2013
4 Charts that have everything and nothing to do with Crude Oil Speculation
If there’s one thing the United States has been hell bent on, it’s reclaiming the number one oil producer in the world, and last month we achieved it! Is this the reason for the fall in gas prices? Does this mean we’re going to continue to see gas below $3.00/a gallon nationwide? Does this mean crude prices won’t be affected as much because of unrest in the Middle East? No, no, and no, and here’s why.
07
Nov
2013
Chart of the Week: Cocoa Craziness
With Halloween just a week ago, and cocoa futures having sold off some since mid October after an impressive run — we can’t help make it the focus of our chart of the week. YTD, it’s made the largest gain, outside of stock index futures. Was it complete candy bar madness for Halloween? Are Chocolate lovers everywhere crowding the doors of every chocolate store, running to the shelves to get as much as chocolate as possible for the holiday season like the people rushing into Target the day after Thanksgiving?
07
Nov
2013
Commodity Exposure math = Commodity ETFs < Long/Short Commodities via Ag Traders
What started as a year of overperformance for Commodity ETF’s is quickly fading. After easily showing better results than the futures commodity markets that they track, commodity futures has sustained a lead for three consecutive months. But we’re not trying to kid anyone, both have dreadful performance year to date when you compare it to the Barclay Ag Trader Index which offers both long and short strategies in commodity markets.
06
Nov
2013
Managed Futures Linkfest
Bart Chilton is announcing he will step down as Commissioner of the CFTC by the end of 2014, while Gary Gensler will vacate his seat by the end of this year. Here’s what else is happening in the managed futures world.
05
Nov
2013
Futures Trading is Risky: Myth or Fact
By now, we in the managed futures world are used to the unwarranted assumptions about who we are and what we do, but what can we do to dispel these notions? While we’ll be the first to tell you that individual futures trading is risky (in fact we’re require to say it), Mike Dever with his book “Jackass Investing” tackles a similar notion, “Is Managed Futures equally or less risky than the Stock Market?”
