Deutsche Bank launches commodity Harvest Index

Deutsche Bank has launched a new commodity index, the Deutsche Bank Commodity Harvest Index, to add to its highly successful commodities index product suite. Commodity Harvest is an alpha generating, rule based market neutral strategy that uses the concept of carry in the commodity complex to generate stable returns without direct exposure to commodity spot prices.

The Commodity Harvest Index is being launched in conjunction with the bank’s five year anniversary of the launch of its commodity indices, the DBLCI suite. Deutsche Bank was one of the first major banks to launch a range of commodity indices and in the intervening five years these products have consistently significantly outperformed the market. In addition, the bank has launched a series of highly successful commodity ETFs with over $3.85 bn in assets under management in the US.

Kevin Rodgers, Head of Complex Risk for Commodities and Foreign Exchange comments, “The Commodity Harvest Index is the latest in a series of innovative and successful products. Deutsche Bank has the research, structuring and trading capabilities to create and manage indices that successfully extract value for investors while offering them a diversification tool into commodities. The fact that we’ve been able to make the returns largely independent of spot prices movements means that the index delivers strong returns even during downturns in commodities markets. Deutsche Bank has created this index to help investors looking for non directional returns in the commodity markets and to provide a product for investors concerned about whether the commodities bull run will continue.”

The Commodity Harvest Index has very low correlation with asset classes such as bonds and exhibits negative correlation with other commodity indices. It has low realised volatility, making it a highly effective portfolio diversifier.