Most managed futures strategies lost ground in February, according to Barclay Group, a hedge fund tracker. Overall, the Barclay CTA Index was down 0.77 per cent for the month, though remaining 0.19 per cent ahead so far in 2007. Sol Waksman, founder and president, said: “Volatility increased dramatically during the final days of February. As stock markets tumbled, investors sought safety and drove US interest rates lower." Systemic traders lost 1.21 per cent, diversified traders fell 1.01 per cent, the financial and metals Index 0.60 per cent and currency traders lost 0.31 per cent. Two sectors did well in February: discretionary traders gained 1.18 per cent and the agricultural traders index 0.97 per cent; the latter is 2.72 per cent ahead this year. The Barclay BTOP50 Index, which monitors performance of the largest CTAs, dropped 0.40 per cent in the month.