Investing in managed futures requires a multifaceted approach. It is not easy to identify the best Managers. This is made more difficult because many of the best Managers do not publish their results, and some are only available to accredited and super-accredited investors.

Our in-house research is based on the work of Dan Stark, President of Granite. Mr. Stark is also the Founder of Daniel B. Stark & Company, an independent affiliate research firm which tracks and provides analysis on an extensive database of alternative investments. With nearly 100 institutions and individuals currently subscribing to his products and services worldwide, Mr. Stark has attained a unique and distinctive reputation in the area of managed futures research. We combine this with our access to an extensive network of hedge fund and managed futures databases, industry referrals, and direct contacts. This allows us to screen the universe of managed futures in search of high-quality candidates for further analysis.

Using our in-house research and analytical systems, we rank and evaluate money managers. Our software allows us to generate performance rankings, analyze rates of return, create custom correlations, and conduct drawdown analysis of the Managers.

Evaluating CTAs can be significantly more difficult than evaluating traditional Managers. In addition to the numbers generated by our research, we emphasize qualitative analysis that includes a Manager’s background and a comparative analysis of how he does in his peer group.

Also, our qualitative analysis includes an understanding of the engine that drives returns. Without an understanding of the engine that drives the returns, (we do not need the proprietary algorithms) it would be impossible for us to understand the CTA’s behavior in possible future market cycles.