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8-K - FORM 8-K - GRANT PARK FUTURES FUND LIMITED PARTNERSHIPf8k_123113.htm
EXHIBIT 99.1
 
Grant Park Fund Weekly Commentary
For the Week Ended December 27, 2013
 

 
Current Month
 
Rolling Performance*
 
Rolling Risk Metrics* (Jan 2009 – Dec 2013)
Class
Week ROR
MTD
ROR
YTD
ROR
 
1 yr
Ann
ROR
3 yr
Ann
ROR
5 yr
Ann
ROR
10 yr
Ann
ROR
 
Annualized
ROR
Annualized Standard Deviation
Maximum
Drawdown
Sharpe
 Ratio
Sortino Ratio
A
2.1%
1.0%
-3.7%
 
-3.7%
-7.7%
-5.7%
-0.2%
 
-5.7%
10.2%
-28.9%
-0.5
-0.7
B**
2.1%
1.0%
-4.3%
 
-4.3%
-8.3%
-6.3%
-0.9%
 
-6.3%
10.2%
-31.1%
-0.6
-0.8
Legacy 1***
2.1%
1.2%
-1.6%
 
-1.6%
-5.6%
N/A
N/A
 
-3.1%
10.2%
-23.0%
-0.3
-0.4
Legacy 2***
2.1%
1.2%
-1.8%
 
-1.8%
-5.9%
N/A
N/A
 
-3.4%
10.2%
-23.7%
-0.3
-0.4
Global 1***
2.2%
1.3%
-1.1%
 
-1.1%
-5.3%
N/A
N/A
 
-3.7%
9.8%
-22.1%
-0.3
-0.5
Global 2***
2.1%
1.3%
-1.3%
 
-1.3%
-5.5%
N/A
N/A
 
-4.0%
9.7%
-23.1%
-0.4
-0.5
Global 3***
2.2%
1.1%
-2.9%
 
-2.9%
-7.2%
N/A
N/A
 
-5.7%
9.7%
-28.9%
-0.6
-0.7
                             
S&P 500 Total Return Index****
1.3%
2.1%
31.9%
 
31.9%
16.0%
17.8%
7.4%
 
17.8%
15.8%
-18.2%
1.1
1.7
Barclays Capital U.S. Long Gov Index****
-1.8%
-1.9%
-12.5%
 
-12.5%
5.4%
2.4%
5.9%
 
2.4%
12.1%
-15.6%
0.3
0.3
*
Performance metrics are calculated using month-to-date performance estimates.  All performance data is subject to verification.
**
Units began trading in August 2003.
***
Units began trading in April 2009.
****
Index is unmanaged & is not available for direct investment. Please see Indices Overview (below) for more information. Weekly RORs are calculated using data acquired through Bloomberg.

Portfolio Positions by Sectors and Markets (Two largest positions within each sector)
 
 
Portfolio for A, B and Legacy units
 
Portfolio for Global units
Sector
Sector
      Market
 
Sector
     Market
Exposure
Position
Contract
Exposure
  Position
 
Exposure
Position
Contract
Exposure
Position
COMMODITIES
31%
         
31%
       
Energy
7%
Long
Brent Crude Oil
2.2%
Long
 
7%
Long
Brent Crude Oil
2.2%
Long
Natural Gas
1.9%
Long
 
Natural Gas
1.9%
Long
Grains/Foods
14%
Short
Corn
3.6%
Short
 
14%
Short
Corn
3.6%
Short
Wheat
2.6%
Short
 
Wheat
2.6%
Short
Metals
10%
Short
Gold
3.7%
Short
 
10%
Short
Gold
3.7%
Short
Silver
2.3%
Short
 
Silver
2.3%
Short
FINANCIALS
69%
         
69%
       
Currencies
34%
Short $
Japanese Yen
6.7%
Short
 
34%
Short $
Japanese Yen
6.7%
Short
Euro
4.3%
Long
 
Euro
4.3%
Long
Equities
21%
Long
S&P 500
4.1%
Long
 
21%
Long
S&P 500
4.1%
Long
Dax Index
3.9%
Long
 
Dax Index
3.9%
Long
Fixed Income
14%
Short
Long Gilts
3.0%
Short
 
14%
Short
Long Gilts
3.0%
Short
Japanese Gov't Bonds
1.8%
Long
 
Japanese Gov't Bonds
1.8%
Long

 
Market Commentary (Largest price movements within each sector)
 
Sector/Market
Energy
Crude oil markets finished higher due to a late-week rally caused by a larger-than-expected drop in U.S. inventories.  Increased demand for gasoline and distillates also supported crude oil prices.  Natural gas markets fell modestly because unseasonably warm temperatures reduced demand for heating fuel.
Grains/Foods
Grains markets generally declined, under pressure from favorable weather forecasts and weak demand from China.  Coffee and sugar rallied as investors attempted to cover short positions prior to year-end.
Metals
Copper rose to a 4-month high because of strong U.S. employment data and optimism surrounding growth in Asia.  Gold and silver markets posted strong gains as a dip in the U.S. dollar bolstered demand for inflation-hedging assets.
Currencies
The euro rose to 2-year highs versus the dollar as banks across the Eurozone attempted to shore up their balance sheets prior to 2014.  The British pound also moved higher, supported by a positive outlook for the U.K. economy as a result of strong economic data.  In Asia, the Japanese yen fell to 5-year lows as investors bet the Bank of Japan will continue its monetary easing initiatives throughout 2014.
Equities
Global equity markets rallied as a result of momentum from seasonal holiday-buying, also known as the “Santa Clause Rally”, and by better-than-expected U.S. employment data.
Fixed Income
U.S. Treasury markets generally fell in anticipation the U.S. Federal Reserve would continue to taper its bond-buying as a result of recent strong economic data in the U.S.
 
 
ALL PERFORMANCE REPORTED IS NET OF FEES AND EXPENSES.  PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS. FUTURES TRADING INVOLVES A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK AND IS NOT SUITABLE FOR ALL INVESTORS. FUTURES TRADING INVOLVES A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK, INCLUDING LIQUIDITY RISKS, NO SECONDARY MARKET EXISTS, RESTRICTIONS ON REDEMPTIONS, AND THE RISK OF FOREIGN SECURITIES.  THIS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF ANY SECURITY FOR SALE.  OFFERING BY PROSPECTUS ONLY.  INFORMATION IN THIS COMMENTARY IS DRAWN FROM VARIOUS SOURCES THAT ARE DEEMED TO BE RELIABLE. HOWEVER, THE INFORMATION IS NOT AUDITED BY DEARBORN CAPITAL.  IN ADDITION, DEARBORN CAPITAL DRAWS UPON THIS INFORMATION TO MAKE ITS OWN ASSUMPTIONS WHICH COULD BE CONSIDERED DEARBORN CAPITAL’S OPINION.  DEARBORN CAPITAL BELIEVES THAT ANY SUCH STATEMENTS OF OPINION HAVE A REASONABLE BASIS IN FACT.
 
 
 
 

 
 
Performance Chart
 
Barclays Capital U.S. Long Government Index (formerly Lehman Brothers U.S. Government Index:  Long Subset): A benchmark comprised of the Barclays Capital U.S. Treasury and U.S. Agency indices.  The U.S. Long Government Index includes Treasuries (public obligations of the U.S. Treasury that have remaining maturities of more than ten years) and U.S. agency debentures (publicly issued debt of U.S. Government agencies, quasi-federal corporations, and corporate or foreign debt guaranteed by the U.S. Government). The U.S. Government Index is a component of the Barclays Capital U.S. Government Index.

Compounded Annualized Rate of Return (ROR): This is the geometric 12-month mean that assumes the same rate of return for each 12-month period to arrive at the equivalent compound growth rate reflected in the actual return data.

Standard and Poor’s 500 Total Return Index (S&P 500 Index): A weighted index of the 500 stocks in the S&P 500 Index, which are chosen by Standard and Poor’s based on industry representation, liquidity, and stability.  The stocks in the S&P 500 Index are not the 500 largest companies; rather the index is designed to capture the returns of many different sectors of the U.S. economy.  The total return calculation includes the price-plus-gross cash dividend return.


 
Risk Metrics Chart
 
Drawdown: A drawdown is any losing period during an investment’s performance history. It is defined as the percent retrenchment from an equity peak to an equity valley. Maximum drawdown is simply the largest percentage drawdown that has occurred during the specified time frame. Grant Park’s drawdowns are computed based on month-end equity values.

Sharpe Ratio: A return/risk measure defined as the average incremental return of an investment over the risk free rate.

Sortino Ratio: A ratio developed to differentiate between good and bad volatility. The calculation provides a risk-adjusted measure of performance without penalizing for upward price changes.

Standard Deviation: Measures the dispersal or uncertainty in a random variable (in this case, investment returns). It measures the degree of variation of returns around the mean, or average, return. The higher the volatility of the investment returns, the higher the standard deviation will be. For this reason, standard deviation is often used as a measure of investment risk.
 
 
 
 
 
 
ALL PERFORMANCE REPORTED IS NET OF FEES AND EXPENSES.  PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS. FUTURES TRADING INVOLVES A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK AND IS NOT SUITABLE FOR ALL INVESTORS. FUTURES TRADING INVOLVES A HIGH DEGREE OF RISK, INCLUDING LIQUIDITY RISKS, NO SECONDARY MARKET EXISTS, RESTRICTIONS ON REDEMPTIONS, AND THE RISK OF FOREIGN SECURITIES.  THIS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF ANY SECURITY FOR SALE.  OFFERING BY PROSPECTUS ONLY.  INFORMATION IN THIS COMMENTARY IS DRAWN FROM VARIOUS SOURCES THAT ARE DEEMED TO BE RELIABLE. HOWEVER, THE INFORMATION IS NOT AUDITED BY DEARBORN CAPITAL.  IN ADDITION, DEARBORN CAPITAL DRAWS UPON THIS INFORMATION TO MAKE ITS OWN ASSUMPTIONS WHICH COULD BE CONSIDERED DEARBORN CAPITAL’S OPINION.  DEARBORN CAPITAL BELIEVES THAT ANY SUCH STATEMENTS OF OPINION HAVE A REASONABLE BASIS IN FACT.