SI392: The Hidden Cracks in Systematic Strategies No One Talks About ft. Nick Baltas

Markets have shifted quickly in 2026, forcing systematic investors to reassess what is signal and what is noise. In this episode, Niels and Nick explore recent drawdowns, volatility in commodities, and how geopolitical shocks ripple through quantitative strategies. They unpack the role of QIS, the evolving structure of energy markets, and why some trends are holding while others fade. The conversation also challenges common assumptions about diversification, model design, and the growing influence of options markets. Rather than reacting to headlines, this episode focuses on how systematic investors interpret changing conditions and adapt without abandoning discipline.

-----

50 YEARS OF TREND FOLLOWING BOOK AND BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO FOR ACCREDITED INVESTORS - CLICK HERE

-----

Follow Niels on Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or via the TTU website.

IT’s TRUE ? – most CIO’s read 50+ books each year – get your FREE copy of the Ultimate Guide to the Best Investment Books ever written here.

And you can get a free copy of my latest book “Ten Reasons to Add Trend Following to Your Portfolio” here.

Learn more about the Trend Barometer here.

Send your questions to info@toptradersunplugged.com

And please share this episode with a like-minded friend and leave an honest Rating & Review on iTunes or Spotify so more people can discover the podcast.

Follow Nick on Twitter.

Episode TimeStamps:

00:01 - Introduction to systematic investing and current market backdrop

01:03 - 2026 sentiment shifts from optimism to uncertainty

03:04 - Commodity curve trades and recent QIS drawdowns

08:34 - Why gas and oil behave very differently in markets

11:17 - Media narratives vs actual CTA performance

14:03 - Rising stagflation concerns and interest rate volatility

18:08 - Trend following performance and positioning update

27:06 - Do options markets impact trend following models

38:28 - Core vs broad market universes in trend strategies

48:46 - Can AI reshape systematic research workflows

55:23 - Quant equity resurgence and lessons from past drawdowns

01:02:19 - Macro uncertainty and what drives trends going forward

----

PLUS: Whenever you're ready... here are 3 ways I can help you in your investment Journey:

1. eBooks that cover key topics that you need to know about

In my eBooks, I put together some key discoveries and things I have learnt during the more than 3 decades I have worked in the Trend Following industry, which I hope you will find useful. Click Here

2. Daily Trend Barometer and Market Score

One of the things I’m really proud of, is the fact that I have managed to published the Trend Barometer and Market Score each day for more than a decade...as these tools are really good at describing the environment for trend following managers as well as giving insights into the general positioning of a trend following strategy! Click Here

3. Other Resources that can help you

And if you are hungry for more useful resources from the trend following world...check out some precious resources that I have found over the years to be really valuable. Click Here

Disclaimer

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(969)

SI419: What Happens When AI Starts Building the Portfolio ft. Nick Baltas

Alan Dunne is joined by Nick Baltas to discuss a strong period for trend following and what the latest research says about adapting systematic strategies to changing markets. They examine whether vola...

26 Sep 1h 5min

OI24: Why Power Trading Is 10 Times Crazier Than Crypto ft. Cory Paddock

Moritz Seibert is joined by GBE Energy co-founder Cory Paddock for a look inside the unusual world of proprietary power trading. Cory explains how electricity markets combine weather, physics and econ...

23 Sep 59min

SI418: Why Markets Are More Alive Than We Think ft. Richard Brennan

Niels Kaastrup-Larsen and Richard Brennan explore what the science of complex adaptive systems can teach us about markets and trend following. Drawing on research from the Santa Fe Institute, they exa...

19 Sep 1h 15min

IL53: How Bonds Quietly Built the Modern World ft. Robin Wigglesworth

Today we talk with the editor of the Financial Times’ Alphaville blog, Robin Wigglesworth. Robin is the author of A Fabulous Debt - the Epic Story of How Bonds Built the Modern World. He tells the sto...

16 Sep 1h 3min

SI417: What Happens When AI Starts Trading the Markets ft. Rob Carver

Niels Kaastrup-Larsen and Rob Carver discuss a market that feels unusually calm despite growing pressure beneath the surface. They look at rising concerns around government debt and bond yields, recen...

12 Sep 1h 8min

GM107: What If AI Actually Pushes Interest Rates Higher? ft. Matt Klein

Alan Dunne is joined by Matt Klein to discuss whether the excitement around AI is getting ahead of the economic reality. Matt explains why the parallels with the 1990s productivity boom may be mislead...

9 Sep 1h 2min

SI416: 137 Years of Trend: What the Evidence Really Shows ft. Yoav Git

Niels Kaastrup-Larsen and Yoav Git examine why trend following continues to endure despite decades of changing markets and persistent skepticism. They revisit AQR’s 137-year study of trend following, ...

5 Sep 1h 14min

GM106: What Happens When the Debt Finally Matters ft. Marvin Barth

Marvin Barth joins Niels Kaastrup-Larsen and Cem Karsan for a wide-ranging debate about the Fed, inflation and the growing pressures on the US economy. Barth argues that central bankers have become to...

2 Sep 1h 24min