Managed futures gained 2.85% in December according to the Barclay CTA Index compiled by BarclayHedge. The Index was up 6.26% for the year.

“As investor psychology fluctuated between risk-on and risk-off during 2010, the major market sectors – equities, bonds, currencies, and commodities – alternated rallies with price declines,” says Sol Waksman, founder and president of BarclayHedge.

All eight of Barclay’s CTA indices had gains in December. The Barclay Diversified Traders Index was up 4.19%, Systematic Traders gained 3.17%, Discretionary Traders were up 1.83%, and Agricultural Traders gained 1.74%.

“Renewed optimism for growth in 2011 helped to propel prices upward for equities and commodities while simultaneously depressing bond prices,” says Waksman.

There were no losing managed futures strategies in 2010. The Barclay Agricultural Traders Index was up 10.74% for the year, Diversified Traders gained 8.69%, Systematic Traders rose 6.97%, and Discretionary Traders were up 5.01%.

“In spite of several sharp loss-generating price reversals, the major price moves were to the upside and provided sufficient gains to more than offset most losses,” says Waksman. "At year-end, more than 81 percent of the CTAs tracked by BarclayHedge had generated profits for their investors.”

The Barclay BTOP50 Index added 3.41% in December, giving the largest traders a 6.17% gain for 2010.