Quant Hedge Fund Aspect Mints 21% Return Playing Currencies

  • FX biggest driver of firm’s performance, alongside commodities
  • Positions include shorting the Japanese yen, long oil and gold

The fund is profiting from positioning for a stronger dollar, as markets veer toward Federal Reserve rates staying higher for longer. 

Photographer: Yuri Cortez/AFP/Getty Images
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Aspect Capital Ltd.’s computer-driven trading models are thriving from the uncertainty that has many human investors ripping up their big macro calls.

The $7.5 billion London-based hedge fund has seen a 21% year-to-date return in its flagship fund, thanks to bets on currency markets and commodities, according to its director of investment solutions Razvan Remsing. That beats the average 14% return for its trend-following peers and 3% for discretionary macro managers, based on Societe Generale SA’s indexes.