Year to date, most alternative strategy performance are negative. Despite this challenging environment, CTAs have recorded an excellent start since the beginning of the year. According to Credit Suisse, CTAs posted a gain of 7.38% in late February 2016, the strongest performance of all alternative strategies...

Donald A. Steinbrugge, managing partner at Agecroft Partners – US third party marketing firm specialized in hedge funds - gave us information regarding demand from institutional investors for CTAs

During the first quarter of 2016, hedge funds suffered a 2% drawdown according to the Lyxor Hedge Fund index. Across hedge fund strategies, CTAs and Merger Arbitrage have been the only segments of the industry being able to post returns in positive territory in Q1.

A more dovish FOMC than expected on March 16 offered the equity rally another leg up. The Fed shaved off its growth and inflation forecasts and its median dot was revised two notches down. Bond yields weakened and the downward pressure on the dollar further supported oil prices and EM assets.

Nearly two thirds (59 percent) of institutional investors globally are set to increase their allocation to private equity over the next five years, according to new State Street research. In contrast, a further 15 percent of institutional investors said their exposure to private equity is likely to decline over the same period.