While we’re still hard at work fighting on behalf of clients whose assets are frozen with PFGBest, we’ve also been amazed at the pure resilience of the human spirit, with many clients calling in to ask us what comes next – what opportunities are available for those seeking managed futures exposure through a stable, law-abiding clearing firm? After all, the global economy is still inching towards a fiscal cliff dance with a Eurozone collapse, and non-correlated investments could be a very important portfolio addition to well-suited investors.

So, in spite of the turmoil, we found time to highlight a program that, in our opinion, stands out among the rest of the managed futures universe in a variety of ways. This was good news for us, as it can be difficult to write with any sort of gusto about the technical aspects of CTAs. Sure, one can break down the quantitative nuances between different trend following programs, and if you’re numbers nerds like us, you may find yourselves enraptured by how one twist on one metric can produce such unique results. For most people, though, the complex algorithms punctuated by Greek letters are of little consequence; they just want to understand why the program works without getting a degree in advanced mathematics first.

And then there are programs like the Emil van Essen Spread Trading Program (EvE). We spotlighted them a little over a year ago, and, typically, would not revisit the program in a newsletter for another couple of years, but developments in the program and company, combined with increased interest in a manager that has truly made a name for himself over the past several years, warranted some additional attention. Well, that, and they’re just a lot of fun to describe. To really understand why EvE is worthy of taking center stage again, you have to look at the big picture – from the manager’s background to the evolution of the trading to the goals they have on the horizon.

To see what we mean, check out the full breakdown here.