Managed futures gained 1.01 per cent in January, according to the Barclay CTA Index compiled by BarclayHedge.

“CTAs got a boost this month from the ‘Abe trade’ (short the Japanese Yen and long the Nikkei or TOPIX), named for the dovish monetary bent of Japan’s new prime minister, Shinzo Abe,” says Sol Waksman, founder and president of BarclayHedge.

Seven of Barclay’s eight CTA indices had a positive return in January. The Diversified Traders Index was up 1.64 per cent, Systematic Traders gained 1.22 per cent, Agricultural Traders were up 0.47 per cent, and Discretionary Traders added 0.34 per cent.

“As global economic sentiment improved and interest rates rose, investors returned to risk-on mode and bid up prices for equities and commodities,” says Waksman.

The only managed futures strategy to lose ground in January was the Financial & Metal Traders Index, which was down 0.04 per cent at month end.

The Barclay BTOP50 Index, which measures performance of the largest CTAs, gained 1.38 per cent in January.