Volt Diversified Alpha Fund delivered an estimated 5.8 percent gain in August, its second-best monthly performance since launching in early 2017, as its systematic macro and trend-following programs generated gains across every traded sector. The strong month lifted the fund’s return for the first eight months of 2026 to 14.2 percent, putting it on track for its second-best calendar year in its soon-to-be 10-year track record.
“The Volt Diversified Alpha Fund had its second-best month since inception (Class I), with positive contributions from all traded sectors,” writes the investment team at Volt Capital Management, led by CIO Patrik Säfvenblad. The asset manager’s systematic macro program was the main driver of performance during the first eight months of the year, although the trend-following program is also in positive territory. In August, both programs contributed to the fund’s gains.
Volt Diversified Alpha Fund benefited particularly from a global bond sell-off driven by concerns over inflation, budget deficits and government debt. Its fixed-income trading profited from short positions across a broad range of markets, with EUR-denominated bonds making the largest contribution. In foreign exchange, the fund captured gains from the weakness of the U.S. dollar, particularly against the euro and British pound. Equity trading also contributed positively, led by long positions in U.S. and Canadian markets.
Energy positions continued to add to performance, with gains in August coming from long positions in crude oil and gasoil. In metals, long positions in gold and silver benefited from the continued rally in precious metals. Soft commodities also contributed positively, primarily through long positions in soybeans and wheat.
Solid Returns, Low Correlations
The broad-based gains across sectors and trading programs resulted in a 5.8 percent estimated return for August. The only stronger month came in March 2020, when the fund gained 11.5 percent amid the extreme market dislocations surrounding the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Since inception, the fund has generated an annualized return of approximately 6.0 percent. Its long-term return profile has also shown relatively low correlation with traditional asset classes and even its peer group of CTA managers, with a reported -0.13 correlation to the MSCI World, 0.06 to the FTSE World Government Bond Index and 0.29 to the SG CTA Index.
Volt Capital Management oversaw $334 million in assets at the end of August, with the majority allocated to its macro program. The multi-strategy Volt Diversified Alpha Fund, which combines the macro and trend-following programs, had just under $40 million in assets. The fund will mark its 10-year anniversary in March next year after Volt itself marked 10 years in operation this year.
