AlphaMaven AlphaMaven

QMS Diversified Global Macro Defied the CTA Trend

Reported by Institutionalinvestor
Nov 24, 2025· 2 min read
Save Post LinkedIn Email
Key Takeaways
  • • QMS Diversified Global Macro has delivered approximately 30% year-to-date gains as of late 2025, significantly outperforming the broader managed futures industry, which has struggled throughout the year.
  • • The IASG Trend Following Strategy index posted a 1.46% gain in October 2025, marking its fifth consecutive profitable month, though the managed futures sector overall remains under pressure.
  • • QMS Capital Management operates a quantitative, systematic long-short investment program diversified across multiple asset classes, positioning it distinctly from traditional trend-following CTA strategies that have underperformed in the current market environment.
  • • QMS Diversified Global Macro sustained a modest loss in October despite year-to-date strength, demonstrating the volatility and selectivity within the managed futures space in 2025.
  • • QMS Capital Management, recognized as a top-performing CTA manager, manages over $6 billion in assets under management, underscoring institutional confidence in its diversified global macro approach amid broader CTA underperformance.
Summary
QMS Diversified Global Macro has emerged as a significant outperformer within the commodity trading advisor and managed futures space during 2025, a year marked by widespread underperformance across the broader strategy category. The fund has achieved approximately 30% year-to-date returns despite headwinds that have challenged most competing managers in the trend-following and CTA segments.

The managed futures industry has experienced a difficult 2025, but QMS Capital Management's diversified global macro strategy has differentiated itself through its quantitative, systematic approach to long-short investing across multiple asset classes. Rather than relying solely on traditional trend-following methodologies that have proven less effective in the current market regime, QMS employs a broader tactical framework that has proven more resilient to recent market conditions.

The IASG Trend Following Strategy index gained 1.46% in October 2025, extending its streak to five consecutive profitable months. However, QMS Diversified Global Macro recorded a small loss during October, indicating that even strong performers face periodic headwinds within the broader CTA landscape. This nuance highlights the importance of distinguishing between performance trajectories and month-to-month volatility within the space.

QMS Capital Management, which manages over $6 billion in assets under management, has established itself as a recognized top-performing CTA manager through its differentiated approach. The firm's success reflects an institutional shift toward diversified, multi-asset strategies that adapt to evolving market dynamics rather than relying on singular trend-following frameworks that dominated earlier CTA methodologies.

The performance dispersion between QMS Diversified Global Macro and the broader managed futures universe underscores the critical importance of strategy design and systematic risk management in navigating challenging market environments. Institutional investors evaluating CTA allocations in 2025 may find particular interest in managers demonstrating significant year-to-date outperformance alongside AUM scale and operational stability.

Go deeper than the headline

Research every firm in this story, track the ones that matter and get the daily briefing — free for 7 days.

Start your free 7-day trial

Sources

1 outlet

AlphaMaven summarised this story from the reporting below. Each link opens the original article.

Institutionalinvestor QMS Diversified Global Macro Defied the CTA Trend