Commodity · Global · CFDs, futures · Monthly Free

Commodity Futures Momentum Strategy

Academic paper

o Open PDF]

Paper linkhttps://repository.up.ac.za/bitstream/handle/2263/14149/Muller_Momentum%282010%29.pdf?sequence=1

Screenshot from the original paper

Strategy in a nutshell

Develop a trading universe comprised of commodity futures. Evaluate and categorize the performance of each future over the past 12 months into quintiles. Adopt a long position in the quintile demonstrating the strongest momentum, while taking a short position in the quintile showing the weakest momentum. Ensure to adjust and realign the portfolio monthly based on the latest performance metrics, maintaining a strategy that capitalizes on momentum trends within the commodity futures market. This approach aims to leverage the cyclicality and trends inherent in commodity prices for potential gains.

Economic rationale

Commodity momentum returns are linked to whether futures markets are in backwardation (prices decrease over time) or contango (prices increase over time), favoring the purchase of backwardated contracts and sale of contangoed ones. This suggests profitability in trading the most extreme backwardated and contangoed contracts, aligning with Keynes and Hicks' theory of normal backwardation. However, these momentum profits aren't seen as risk compensation. Additionally, commodity momentum returns show low correlation with traditional asset classes, indicating their potential value in diversified portfolios.

Switzer and Jiang highlight that momentum-based profits from commodity futures align with behavioral finance theories, where market inefficiencies arise from participants' underreaction to information. These profits also depend on the market's term structure and hedging pressure. The strategy's success is further supported by factors like market liquidity, a focus on only 31 commodities, and low transaction costs.

Entry & exit

Entry

On each month, rank GLD, SLV, DBC, GSG, USO, UNG, DBA by 126-day return and equal-weight the strongest 2 name(s).

Exit

Sell any holding that falls out of the top 2 at the next rebalance and rotate into the new leaders.

Market data required

Needs at least 126 adjusted daily closes on GLD, SLV, DBC, GSG, USO, UNG (+1 more) before the first signal is ready. ETF columns print on exchange sessions only. The lab loads Yahoo Finance via backtest.data.load_daily_prices.

Symbols

GLD, SLV, DBC, GSG, USO, UNG, DBA

Frequency

Monthly · Daily adjusted close; signals rebalance on the month change (last available session)

History needed

≥ 126 trading days per symbol (about 6 months), plus a few extra bars so the first signal can fire.

Fields

Adjusted close (Yahoo auto_adjust)
Session date index

Credentials

None for paper and the onsite lab
Broker or exchange API keys only for live orders

APIs & providers

Quant Buffet Data API

The lab calls load_daily_prices for the ASSETS panel of adjusted closes, then caches CSV so backtests replay the same series.

Provider: backtest.data.load_daily_prices
Auth: None for paper / sandbox backtests
Endpoints: load_daily_prices(ASSETS, start="2000-01-01")

API / docs → /en/docs/data-api

Yahoo Finance via yfinance

US equities and ETFs, adjusted OHLCV, free for research (rate limits apply).

Provider: yfinance → Yahoo Finance
Auth: None for public history
Endpoints: Ticker.history / yf.download(auto_adjust=True)

API / docs → github.com/ranaroussi/yfinance

Onsite backtest IDE

Quant Buffet native backtest IDE

Edit and run Quant Buffet Python for Commodity Futures Momentum Strategy in the browser. Results update live with equity, drawdown, and metrics charts. Allowed: backtest.data, backtest.engine, backtest.metrics, numpy, pandas. Define ASSETS and make_on_day(prices). Shortcut: Ctrl+Enter. API docs →

IDE · 42 lines

"""
Quant Buffet interactive lab — momentum-effect-in-commodities
Allowed: backtest.data / backtest.engine / backtest.metrics, numpy, pandas.
Required: a module-level ASSETS list, and def make_on_day(prices) returning (on_day, ready)
"""
from __future__ import annotations

import numpy as np
import pandas as pd

from backtest.data import load_daily_prices
from backtest.engine import EngineConfig, PortfolioEngine
from backtest.metrics import compute_metrics

ASSETS = ['GLD', 'SLV', 'DBC', 'GSG', 'USO', 'UNG', 'DBA']
LOOKBACK = 126
TOP_N = 2
INVERT = False  # True = short-term reversal (rank ascending)

def make_on_day(prices: pd.DataFrame):
    cols = [c for c in ASSETS if c in prices.columns]
    rets = prices[cols].pct_change(LOOKBACK)
    state = {"last": None}

    def on_day(engine: PortfolioEngine, dt: pd.Timestamp) -> None:
        row = rets.loc[dt]
        if row.isna().all():
            return
        key = (dt.year, dt.month)
        if state["last"] == key:
            return
        state["last"] = key
        ranked = row.dropna().sort_values(ascending=INVERT)
        picks = list(ranked.head(TOP_N).index)
        if not INVERT:
            picks = [s for s in picks if ranked[s] > 0] or picks[:1]
        w = {} if not picks else {s: 1.0 / len(picks) for s in picks}
        engine.set_target_weights(dt, w)

    ready = rets.dropna(how="all").index.min() if rets.notna().any().any() else None
    return on_day, ready

"""
Quant Buffet interactive lab — momentum-effect-in-commodities
Allowed: backtest.data / backtest.engine / backtest.metrics, numpy, pandas.
Required: a module-level ASSETS list, and def make_on_day(prices) returning (on_day, ready)
"""
from __future__ import annotations

import numpy as np
import pandas as pd

from backtest.data import load_daily_prices
from backtest.engine import EngineConfig, PortfolioEngine
from backtest.metrics import compute_metrics

ASSETS = ['GLD', 'SLV', 'DBC', 'GSG', 'USO', 'UNG', 'DBA']
LOOKBACK = 126
TOP_N = 2
INVERT = False  # True = short-term reversal (rank ascending)

def make_on_day(prices: pd.DataFrame):
    cols = [c for c in ASSETS if c in prices.columns]
    rets = prices[cols].pct_change(LOOKBACK)
    state = {"last": None}

def on_day(engine: PortfolioEngine, dt: pd.Timestamp) -> None:
        row = rets.loc[dt]
        if row.isna().all():
            return
        key = (dt.year, dt.month)
        if state["last"] == key:
            return
        state["last"] = key
        ranked = row.dropna().sort_values(ascending=INVERT)
        picks = list(ranked.head(TOP_N).index)
        if not INVERT:
            picks = [s for s in picks if ranked[s] > 0] or picks[:1]
        w = {} if not picks else {s: 1.0 / len(picks) for s in picks}
        engine.set_target_weights(dt, w)

ready = rets.dropna(how="all").index.min() if rets.notna().any().any() else None
    return on_day, ready

Quant Buffet syntax cheat sheet (copy / insert)

Paste these fragments into the editor. The sandbox rejects QuantConnect, os, and network libraries.

Required imports

Only these libraries are allowed in the sandbox.

from __future__ import annotations

import numpy as np
import pandas as pd

from backtest.data import load_daily_prices
from backtest.engine import EngineConfig, PortfolioEngine
from backtest.metrics import compute_metrics

ASSETS list (whitelisted ETFs)

Module-level list. Tickers must be in the Quant Buffet whitelist.

ASSETS = ["SPY", "QQQ", "TLT", "GLD", "BIL"]

make_on_day contract

Must return (on_day, ready). on_day calls engine.set_target_weights.

def make_on_day(prices: pd.DataFrame):
    cols = [c for c in ASSETS if c in prices.columns]
    sma = prices[cols].rolling(200, min_periods=200).mean()
    state = {"last": None}

    def on_day(engine: PortfolioEngine, dt: pd.Timestamp) -> None:
        if sma.loc[dt].isna().all():
            return
        key = (dt.year, dt.month)
        if state["last"] == key:
            return
        state["last"] = key
        long = [
            s for s in cols
            if pd.notna(prices.at[dt, s]) and pd.notna(sma.at[dt, s])
            and prices.at[dt, s] > sma.at[dt, s]
        ]
        weights = {} if not long else {s: 1.0 / len(long) for s in long}
        engine.set_target_weights(dt, weights)

    ready = sma.dropna(how="all").index.min() if sma.notna().any().any() else None
    return on_day, ready

Set target weights

Weights should sum to about 1.0. Empty dict = 100% cash.

engine.set_target_weights(dt, {"SPY": 0.60, "BIL": 0.40})

Live backtest performance

CAGR

0.65%

Sharpe

0.16

Max DD

-87.22%

Vol

27.63%

Sortino

0.24

Beta

0.19

Up days

57%

Run the backtest to populate charts.

Order records

Run the backtest to load every order fill alongside performance.

Export to your platform

Transform Quant Buffet lab code (ASSETS + make_on_day / PortfolioEngine) into native classes for a third-party IDE — then copy and paste.

Target platform

Run in: QuantConnect Cloud or LEAN CLI · QCAlgorithm with Equity securities and monthly rebalance.

Detected pattern: Momentum rotationAssets: GLD, SLV, DBC, GSG, USO, UNG, DBA

# Generated from Quant Buffet → QuantConnect LEAN
# Strategy: Commodity Futures Momentum Strategy
# Detected pattern: Momentum rotation
# Source uses Quant Buffet lab APIs (ASSETS + make_on_day / PortfolioEngine).
# Review fees, data, and risk before live trading — educational export only.

from AlgorithmImports import *


class QuantBuffetExport(QCAlgorithm):
    def Initialize(self):
        self.SetStartDate(2010, 1, 1)
        self.SetCash(100000)
        tickers = ["GLD", "SLV", "DBC", "GSG", "USO", "UNG", "DBA"]
        self.symbols = []
        for t in tickers:
            if "-" in t:  # crypto proxy e.g. BTC-USD
                self.symbols.append(self.AddCrypto(t.replace("-USD", ""), Resolution.Daily).Symbol)
            else:
                self.symbols.append(self.AddEquity(t, Resolution.Daily).Symbol)
        self.Schedule.On(
            self.DateRules.MonthStart(self.symbols[0]),
            self.TimeRules.AfterMarketOpen(self.symbols[0], 30),
            self.Rebalance,
        )
        # Logic: Hold top 2 by 126-day return; monthly.

    def Rebalance(self):
        scores = {}
        for symbol in self.symbols:
            hist = self.History(symbol, 126 + 5, Resolution.Daily)
            if hist.empty: continue
            close = hist["close"]
            if hasattr(close, "unstack"):
                close = close.unstack(level=0).iloc[:, 0]
            if len(close) < 126 + 1: continue
            scores[symbol] = float(close.iloc[-1] / close.iloc[-126 - 1] - 1)
        ranked = sorted(scores.items(), key=lambda kv: kv[1], reverse=True)[:2]
        for symbol in self.symbols:
            self.SetHoldings(symbol, 0)
        if ranked:
            w = 1.0 / len(ranked)
            for symbol, _ in ranked:
                self.SetHoldings(symbol, w)

Exported code uses the platform’s native classes and libraries. Install dependencies in your third-party IDE, then run. Validate before live trading.