Long-Run Reversal in Commodity Returns
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Long-Run Reversal in Commodity Returns: Insights from Seven Centuries of Evidence
Adam Zaremba; Robert J. Bianchi; Mateusz Mikutowski
- Montpellier Business School
- Poznań University of Economics and Business
- ?Poznan University of Economics and Business
- Griffith University
Strategy in a nutshell
Trades 52 commodities by 3-year cumulative returns, going long on the bottom quintile (lowest returns) and short on the top quintile (highest returns). Portfolios are equally weighted and rebalanced annually.
Economic rationale
Long-term commodity prices revert due to supply-demand cycles rather than macro risks. High idiosyncratic volatility and periods after large return dispersion amplify reversal effects, making low-return commodities outperform over time.
Backtest performance
Annualised return16.03%
Volatility19.37%
Beta0.048
Sharpe ratio0.83
Sortino ratio0.026
Win rate56%
Full Python code
from AlgorithmImports import *
class LongRunReversalinCommodityReturns(QCAlgorithm):
def Initialize(self):
self.SetStartDate(1991, 1, 1)
self.SetCash(100000)
self.symbols = [
"CME_S1", # Soybean Futures, Continuous Contract
"CME_W1", # Wheat Futures, Continuous Contract
"CME_SM1", # Soybean Meal Futures, Continuous Contract
"CME_BO1", # Soybean Oil Futures, Continuous Contract
"CME_C1", # Corn Futures, Continuous Contract
"CME_O1", # Oats Futures, Continuous Contract
"CME_LC1", # Live Cattle Futures, Continuous Contract
"CME_FC1", # Feeder Cattle Futures, Continuous Contract
"CME_LN1", # Lean Hog Futures, Continuous Contract
"CME_GC1", # Gold Futures, Continuous Contract
"CME_SI1", # Silver Futures, Continuous Contract
"CME_PL1", # Platinum Futures, Continuous Contract
"CME_CL1", # Crude Oil Futures, Continuous Contract
"CME_HG1", # Copper Futures, Continuous Contract
"CME_LB1", # Random Length Lumber Futures, Continuous Contract
"CME_PA1", # Palladium Futures, Continuous Contract
"CME_RR1", # Rough Rice Futures, Continuous Contract
"ICE_RS1", # Canola Futures, Continuous Contract
"ICE_GO1", # Gas Oil Futures, Continuous Contract
"CME_RB2", # Gasoline Futures, Continuous Contract
"CME_KW2", # Wheat Kansas, Continuous Contract
"ICE_WT1", # WTI Crude Futures, Continuous Contract
"ICE_CC1", # Cocoa Futures, Continuous Contract
"ICE_CT1", # Cotton No. 2 Futures, Continuous Contract
"ICE_KC1", # Coffee C Futures, Continuous Contract
"ICE_O1", # Heating Oil Futures, Continuous Contract
"ICE_OJ1", # Orange Juice Futures, Continuous Contract
"ICE_SB1" # Sugar No. 11 Futures, Continuous Contract
]
self.data = {}
self.period = 3 * 12 * 21
self.SetWarmUp(self.period)
self.month = 0
self.quantile:int = 5
for symbol in self.symbols:
data = self.AddData(QuantpediaFutures, symbol, Resolution.Daily)
data.SetFeeModel(CustomFeeModel())
data.SetLeverage(5)
self.data[symbol] = SymbolData(self, symbol, self.period)
self.Settings.MinimumOrderMarginPortfolioPercentage = 0.
self.Schedule.On(self.DateRules.MonthStart(self.symbols[0]), self.TimeRules.At(0, 0), self.Rebalance)
def Rebalance(self):
self.month += 1
if self.month > 12:
self.month = 1
if self.IsWarmingUp: return
if self.month != 1: return
last_update_date:Dict[str, datetime.date] = QuantpediaFutures.get_last_update_date()
performance = { x : self.data[x].roc.Current.Value for x in self.data if \
self.data[x].is_ready() and \
x in last_update_date and \
self.Time.date() < last_update_date[x] }
if len(performance) < 5:
self.Liquidate()
return
sorted_by_return = sorted(performance.items(), key = lambda x: x[1], reverse = True)
quantile = int(len(sorted_by_return) / self.quantile)
long = [x[0] for x in sorted_by_return[-quantile:]]
short = [x[0] for x in sorted_by_return[:quantile]]
stocks_invested = [x.Key.Value for x in self.Portfolio if x.Value.Invested]
for symbol in stocks_invested:
if symbol not in long + short:
self.Liquidate(symbol)
# trade execution
long_count = len(long)
short_count = len(short)
for symbol in long:
self.SetHoldings(symbol, 1 / long_count)
for symbol in short:
self.SetHoldings(symbol, -1 / short_count)
class SymbolData():
def __init__(self, algorithm, symbol, period:int) -> None:
self.roc = algorithm.ROC(symbol, period, Resolution.Daily)
self.roc.Updated += self.roc_updated
self.last_update_date = None
self.algorithm = algorithm
def roc_updated(self, sender, bar):
self.last_update_date = self.algorithm.Time.date()
def is_ready(self) -> bool:
return self.roc.IsReady and self.last_update_date and (self.algorithm.Time.date() - self.last_update_date).days < 5
# Quantpedia data.
# NOTE: IMPORTANT: Data order must be ascending (datewise)
class QuantpediaFutures(PythonData):
_last_update_date:Dict[str, datetime.date] = {}
@staticmethod
def get_last_update_date() -> Dict[str, datetime.date]:
return QuantpediaFutures._last_update_date
def GetSource(self, config, date, isLiveMode):
return SubscriptionDataSource("data.quantpedia.com/backtesting_data/futures/{0}.csv".format(config.Symbol.Value), SubscriptionTransportMedium.RemoteFile, FileFormat.Csv)
def Reader(self, config, line, date, isLiveMode):
data = QuantpediaFutures()
data.Symbol = config.Symbol
if not line[0].isdigit(): return None
split = line.split(';')
data.Time = datetime.strptime(split[0], "%d.%m.%Y") + timedelta(days=1)
data['back_adjusted'] = float(split[1])
data['spliced'] = float(split[2])
data.Value = float(split[1])
# store last update date
if config.Symbol.Value not in QuantpediaFutures._last_update_date:
QuantpediaFutures._last_update_date[config.Symbol.Value] = datetime(1,1,1).date()
if data.Time.date() > QuantpediaFutures._last_update_date[config.Symbol.Value]:
QuantpediaFutures._last_update_date[config.Symbol.Value] = data.Time.date()
return data
# Custom fee model
class CustomFeeModel(FeeModel):
def GetOrderFee(self, parameters):
fee = parameters.Security.Price * parameters.Order.AbsoluteQuantity * 0.00005
return OrderFee(CashAmount(fee, "USD"))