Item 1. Business
(a) General development of business
Nestor Partners (the “Partnership”) is a limited partnership organized December 13, 1976 under the New Jersey Uniform Limited Partnership Act. The general partner of the Partnership is Millburn Ridgefield Corporation, a Delaware corporation operating in Greenwich, Connecticut (the “General Partner”).
The Partnership’s business is trading a diversified portfolio (a “Diversified Portfolio”) of futures, forward, swap, spot and option contracts on currencies, metals, interest rate instruments, stock indices, energy and agricultural commodities. The General Partner invests globally pursuant to its proprietary quantitative and systematic trading methodology, based upon signals generated from an analysis from price, price derivatives, fundamental and other quantitative data. Approximately 20% - 30% of the Partnership’s trading, measured by the General Partner’s assessment of risk, currently takes place in the currency markets. The Partnership began its trading activities in February 1977. All investment decisions are made by the General Partner.
The General Partner was organized in May 1982 to manage discretionary accounts in futures and forward markets. It and its principals have been trading in the futures and forwards markets pursuant to systematic quantitative, trading and risk management methods since 1971. The General Partner has been registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (the “CFTC”) as a commodity pool operator (“CPO”) since July 1, 1982, as a commodity trading advisor (“CTA”) since September 13, 1984 and has been a member of the National Futures Association (the “NFA”) since July 1, 1982. The General Partner has been an approved swaps firm with the NFA since December 26, 2012. The Millburn Corporation is an affiliate of the General Partner and performs research, trading, technology, operations, marketing, accounting, tax, legal, compliance, human resources, and other administrative functions for the Partnership and other commodity pools and investment partnerships managed by the General Partner.
As of December 31, 2015, the aggregate net asset value of the Partnership was $134,907,963. The value at December 31, 2015 of a limited partner’s initial $1,000 investment in the Partnership on February 1, 1977 would be $51,463.94, based on the actual rate of return a limited partner’s investment in the Partnership would have recognized, net of the highest charges applicable to a limited partner, during each month in the calculation period from February 1, 1977 to December 31, 2015.
The Partnership’s fiscal year ends on December 31.
The Partnership will terminate on October 31, 2017 (unless such term is extended by the limited partners) or upon the prior withdrawal, insolvency or dissolution of the General Partner or occurrence of any event legally requiring termination.
The Partnership is not a registered investment company or mutual fund. Accordingly, investors in the Partnership do not have the protections afforded by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended.
(b) Financial information about industry segments
The Partnership’s business constitutes only one segment (i.e., a speculative commodity pool). The Partnership does not engage in sales of goods and services. Financial information regarding the Partnership’s business is set forth in the Partnership’s Financial Statements included as Exhibit 13.01 to this report.
(c) Narrative description of business
The Partnership engages in the speculative trading of futures, forward and spot contracts and may trade options thereon as well as swap contracts. The Partnership’s sole trading advisor is the General Partner. The Partnership trades, pursuant to the General Partner’s Diversified Portfolio, in the agricultural, metals, energy, interest rate and stock indices futures markets and in the currency markets, trading primarily forward contracts in the interbank market. The General Partner makes its systematically-based trading decisions pursuant to its investment and trading methods, which may include technical trend analysis, certain non-traditional technical systems (i.e., systems falling outside of traditional technical trend analysis), and money management principles, each of which may be revised from time to time. The objective of the General Partner’s investment and trading methods is to consider multiple data inputs, or “factors,” in order to arrive at relatively near-term return forecasts for each traded instrument and take appropriate risk-managed positions. These factors include price data, but also a range of price derivative and non-price data. The General Partner’s approach employs models that analyze data over a time spectrum from several minutes to multiple years.
A majority of trades generated by quantitative models may be unprofitable. Their objective is to make fewer but larger profits, more than offsetting possibly more numerous but smaller losses. Consequently, during periods in which market behavior differs significantly from that analyzed to build the models, substantial losses are possible, and even likely.
The General Partner is engaged in an ongoing research effort to improve its investment and trading methods and to apply its quantitative analytic expertise to new financial products.
Successful systematic futures and forward trading depends on several elements. Two of the main factors are development and selection of the trading systems used in each market and the allocation of portfolio risk among the markets available for trading.
Market environments change over time, and particular systems may perform well in one environment but poorly in another. Likewise, market sectors and individual markets go through periods where systematic trading is very profitable and other periods where no system is able to generate any profits.
The goal of the General Partner’s research has been to develop and select a mix of systems in each market and to allocate risk across a wide array of markets, so as to contain overall portfolio risk within a targeted range, while allowing exposure to profitable opportunities. Over more than 40 years, the General Partner and its predecessor entities have developed hundreds of trading systems. These trading systems generate buy or sell decisions in a particular market based on the analysis of price movements in the market, some non-price information or a combination of both.
Of course, systems can be materially different - better in some periods and worse in others. The main distinguishing features are: the time frame over which systems work (intra-day to long-term); the granularity of data fed into them (tick data to daily, weekly or monthly frequencies); type (market or economic statistics); source (cash, futures, forward or option markets-generated data or government and industry-generated statistical information); and the objective of the system (profiting from momentum, mean reversion, trading-ranges or volatility). No single approach will work all the time. Therefore, the General Partner’s objective is to have several approaches and several data inputs operating in conjunction with one another. Since the early 1980s, the General Partner has selected multiple systems for each market.
When arriving at the portfolio allocation, the General Partner generally seeks maximum diversification, subject to liquidity and sector concentration constraints, and each market is traded using a diversified set of trading systems, which may be optimized for groups of markets, sectors or specific markets. The markets traded and allocations are reviewed at least monthly, although changes may occur more or less frequently. The following factors, among others, are considered in constructing a universe of markets to trade for the Partnership: profitability, liquidity of markets, professional judgment, desired diversification, transaction costs, exchange regulations and depth of markets. Once the universe of markets is established, the General Partner’s simulation and optimization techniques help determine which markets to include in the Partnership’s portfolio. The current allocation to any market in the Partnership’s portfolio does not exceed 3% of total market exposure, measured by risk allocation.
Risk is a function of both price level and price volatility. For example, for any given level of volatility, a 100,000 barrel crude oil position is worth more and is, therefore, probably more risky with oil at $90 per barrel than with oil at $50 per barrel. Similarly, oil would be more risky if prices are moving in a 5% daily range than if prices are moving in a 1% daily range. The General Partner sizes the position in each market taking into account its measurement of risk based on price level and volatility in that market. Market exposure is then managed by the position-sizing models which measure the risk in the portfolio’s position in each market. In the event the model determines that the risk has changed beyond an acceptable threshold, it will signal a change in the position - a decrease in position size when risk increases and an increase in position size when risk decreases. The General Partner’s position-sizing models maintain overall portfolio risk and distribution of risk across markets within designated ranges. The position-sizing model manages the position traded by each of the (directional) trading systems discussed above.
In addition, the General Partner’s risk management processes focus on money management principles applicable to the portfolio as a whole rather than to individual markets. The first principle is portfolio diversification, which attempts to improve the quality of profits by reducing volatility.
Additional money management principles applicable to the portfolio as a whole include: (1) limiting the assets committed as margin or collateral, generally within a range of 5% to 35% of an account’s net assets, though the amount may at any time be substantially higher or lower and (2) prohibiting pyramiding - that is, using unrealized profits in a particular market as margin for additional positions solely in the same market.
Another important risk management function is the careful control of leverage or total portfolio exposure. Leverage levels are determined by simulating the entire portfolio - all markets, all systems, all risk control models, the exact weightings of the markets in the portfolio and the proposed level of leverage - over the past five or ten years to determine the portfolio’s simulated risk and return characteristics as well as the worst case experienced by the portfolio in the simulation period. The worst case, or peak-to-trough drawdown, is measured from a daily high in portfolio assets to the subsequent daily low whether that occurs days, weeks or months after the daily high. If the General Partner considers the drawdown too severe or the portfolio’s simulated volatility too high, it reduces the leverage or total portfolio exposure. There are, however, no restrictions on the amount of leverage the Partnership may use at any given time.
Decisions whether to trade a particular market require the exercise of judgment. The decision not to trade certain markets for certain periods, or to reduce the size of a position in a particular market, may result at times in missing significant profit opportunities.
The General Partner employs discretion in the execution of trades where the trading expertise of The Millburn Corporation (an affiliate of the General Partner) plays a role in timing of orders and, from time to time, the General Partner may adjust the size of a position, long or short, in any given market indicated by its systematic trading strategies. This exercise of discretion (other than in trade execution) generally occurs only in response to unusual market conditions that may not have been factored into the design of the trading systems and is generally intended to reduce risk exposure. Decisions to make such adjustments also require the exercise of judgment and may include consideration of the volatility of the particular market; the pattern of price movements, both inter-day and intra-day; open interest; volume of trading; changes in spread relationships between various forward contracts; and overall portfolio balance and risk exposure.
Pursuant to the Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership (the “Limited Partnership Agreement”), the General Partner receives in respect of limited partners who acquire their limited partnership interests (“Interests”) through selling agents, a fixed monthly brokerage fee equal to 0.417% of the Partnership’s month-end net assets (5.0% per annum) attributable to such limited partners’ capital accounts. In respect of limited partners who acquire their Interests through the General Partner, the General Partner receives brokerage commissions at a fixed monthly rate of 0.167% of the Partnership’s month-end net assets (2.0% per annum) attributable to such limited partner’s capital account plus an amount equal to the brokerage commissions and fees payable to clearing and executing brokers attributable to each such limited partners’ proportionate interest in the Partnership. The General Partner in turn bears all such brokerage commissions and fees payable to clearing and executing brokers as well as all compensation payable to selling agents, if any. The General Partner also receives a profit share equal to 20% of any new trading profit, determined as of the end of each calendar year. The annual profit share is calculated net of brokerage fees and administrative expenses.
The Partnership pays its administrative expenses, including costs incurred in connection with the continuing offering of the Interests, up to ¼ of 1% per annum of the Partnership’s average month-end assets, and any extraordinary expenses which it may incur.
SG Americas Securities, LLC (“AG Americas”) and Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. (“Deutsche Bank”) currently act as the futures brokers for the Partnership. The Partnership also currently executes currency forward trades with Deutsche Bank AG which serves as the Partnership’s prime broker for such trades. At the present time, the Partnership clears its currency forward trades with Deutsche Bank AG and Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC (“Morgan Stanley”). The Partnership pays “bid ask” spreads on its forward trades, as such spreads are incorporated into the pricing of forward contracts. The General Partner monitors the Partnership’s trades to ensure that the prices it receives are competitive.
Each partner has a capital account, and its initial balance is the amount of his contribution to the Partnership. There is also a new profit memo account which is credited with the General Partner’s profit share on redeemed Interests and any excess of the General Partner’s profit share over the Partnership’s taxable gains at year-end. The net assets of the Partnership are determined monthly, and any increase or decrease from the end of the preceding month is added to or subtracted from the accounts (including the new profit memo account) of the partners in the ratio that each account bears to all accounts. The credits to the new profit memo account are charged to the accounts of the limited partners.
At the end of each fiscal year, the Partnership’s taxable capital gain or loss (including gains and losses on open positions in certain futures and forward contracts which are “marked-to-market” at the end of the Partnership’s fiscal year) and ordinary income and expense are allocated among the partners for tax purposes, and each partner who is a United States (“U.S.”) citizen or resident is required to include on his personal income tax return his distributive share of such items. Items of operating income such as interest and items of operating expense such as legal, accounting and filing fees that accrued during each month will be allocated among the persons who were partners during each month in the ratio that each partner’s capital account bears to all partners’ capital accounts.
Net capital gain is allocated first to the General Partner up to the amount of the General Partner’s profit share for the year and then up to the amount of any balance in the new profit memo account. Net capital gain is next allocated to each partner who has redeemed all or a portion of his Interests during the year to the extent that the amount received on redemption exceeds the partner’s tax basis (“tax basis”). A partner’s tax basis is the amount paid for the Interests redeemed plus net taxable income less taxable losses previously allocated to such Interests and less amounts previously distributed to the partner with respect to the redeemed Interests. Remaining net capital gain is allocated among the partners whose capital accounts have increased from their tax basis. The allocation to each partner is in the ratio that his increase bears to all partners’ increases. Net capital gain remaining is allocated to each partner in the ratio that his capital account value bears to the total capital account value of all partners.
Net capital loss is allocated first to each partner who has redeemed all or a portion of his Interests during the year to the extent that the amount the partner’s tax basis for the Interests redeemed exceeds the amount received on redemption. Remaining net taxable capital loss is allocated among the partners whose capital accounts have decreased from their tax basis. The allocation to each partner is in the ratio that his decrease bears to all partners’ decreases. Net capital loss remaining is allocated to each partner in the ratio that his capital account value bears to the total capital account value of all partners.
The General Partner estimates that 90% or more of the Partnership’s assets, including the assets used to satisfy margin and collateral requirements, will be invested in U.S. government securities or securities issued by federal agencies (or, to a limited extent, foreign government securities in connection with trading on non-U.S. exchanges), other CFTC-authorized investments or held in bank or certain other money market instruments (e.g., bankers acceptances and Eurodollar or other time deposits). The balance of the Partnership’s assets will be held in cash in commodity brokerage accounts, bank accounts or other accounts in the name of the Partnership and will be used for trading which requires cash for margin and to avoid daily buying and selling of government securities. The Partnership’s assets deposited with the Partnership’s futures brokers as margin are maintained in “customer segregated funds accounts” or “foreign futures and foreign options secured amount accounts.”
The Partnership does not engage in lending (other than through permitted securities investments).
Regulation
Under the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended (the “CEA”), commodity exchanges and futures trading are subject to regulation by the CFTC. NFA, a “registered futures association” under the CEA, is the only non-exchange self-regulatory organization for futures industry professionals. The CFTC has delegated to the NFA responsibility for the registration of CTAs, CPOs, “futures commission merchants,” “introducing brokers,” “swap dealers” and their respective associated persons and “floor brokers” and “floor traders.” The CEA requires CPOs and CTAs, such as the General Partner, and commodity brokers or futures commission merchants (“FCMs”) and swap dealers, such as SG Americas, Deutsche Bank, Deutsche Bank AG and Morgan Stanley to be registered and to comply with various reporting and record keeping requirements. The CFTC may suspend a CPO’s or CTA’s registration if it finds that its trading practices tend to disrupt orderly market conditions or in certain other situations. In the event that the registration of the General Partner as a CPO or a CTA were terminated or suspended, the General Partner would be unable to continue to manage the business of the Partnership. Should the General Partner’s registration be suspended, termination of the Partnership might result.
In addition to such registration requirements, the CFTC and certain commodity exchanges have established limits on the maximum net long or net short positions which any person may hold or control in certain futures contracts. Most exchanges also limit the changes in futures contract prices that may occur during a single trading day. In October 2011, the CFTC adopted a new position limits regime for 28 so-called “exempt” (i.e., metals and energy) and agricultural commodity derivatives, futures and options contracts and their economically equivalent swap contracts. On September 28, 2012, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia vacated these rules. In November 2013, however, the CFTC proposed substantially similar rules to its prior position limits regime. This new set of speculative position limit rules are not yet finalized (or effective). All accounts controlled by the General Partner are combined for speculative position limit purposes. The General Partner could be required to liquidate positions it holds on behalf of the Partnership in order to comply with the new position limits regime. Any such liquidation or limited implementation could result in substantial costs to the Partnership. It is as yet unclear whether the rules will have an adverse effect on the Partnership.
In response to the financial crises of 2008-2009, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Reform Act”) was enacted in July 2010. The Reform Act includes provisions that comprehensively regulate the over-the-counter (“OTC”) derivatives markets for the first time. The Reform Act will ultimately mandate that a substantial portion of OTC derivatives must be executed in regulated markets and be submitted for clearing to regulated clearinghouses. The mandates imposed by the Reform Act may result in the Partnership bearing higher upfront and mark-to-market margin, less favorable trade pricing, and the imposition of new or increased fees, including clearing account maintenance fees, with respect to the Partnership’s trading currently undertaken in the OTC markets.
The Partnership may also trade forward contracts in the inter-bank currency market. Such forward contracts are not currently traded on exchanges; rather, banks and dealers act as principals in these markets. As a result of the Reform Act, the CFTC now regulates non-deliverable forwards (including many deliverable forwards where the parties do not take delivery), although currency forward contracts are generally not otherwise subject to regulation by any other U.S. government agency. Changes in the forward markets may entail increased costs and result in burdensome reporting requirements. There is currently no limitation on the daily price movements of forward contracts. Principals in the forward markets have no obligation to continue to make markets in the forward contracts traded. The imposition of credit controls by governmental authorities or the implementation of regulations pursuant to the Reform Act might limit such forward trading to less than that which the General Partner would otherwise recommend, to the possible detriment of the Partnership.
(i) through (xii) - not applicable.
(xiii) the Partnership has no employees.
(d) Financial information about geographic areas
The Partnership does not engage in material operations in foreign countries (although it does trade from the U.S. in foreign currency forward contracts and on foreign futures exchanges), and a material portion of its revenues is not derived from foreign customers.
Item 1A.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Not required.
Item 1B.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
Not required.
Item 2.
Item 2. Properties
The Partnership does not own or use any physical properties in the conduct of its business. The General Partner or an affiliate perform administrative services for the Partnership from their offices.
Item 3.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
The General Partner is not aware of any pending legal proceedings to which either the Partnership is a party or to which any of its assets are subject. In addition there are no pending material legal proceedings involving the General Partner.
Item 4.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not required.
PART II
Item 5.
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
(a) Market Information
There is no trading market for the Interests, and none is likely to develop. Interests may be redeemed upon 15 days’ written notice to the General Partner at their net asset value as of the last day of any month, subject to certain early redemption charges.
(b) Holders
As of December 31, 2015, there were 641 holders of Interests.
(c) Dividends
No distributions or dividends have been made on the Interests, and the General Partner has no present intention to make any.
(d) Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
None.
(e) Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities; Use of Proceeds from Registered Securities
Interests are sold on a monthly basis through the General Partner and certain selling agents retained by the General Partner to act as its agents. The offering price of an Interest is equal to the amount of cash contributed to the Partnership by a limited partner. Between October 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015, the Partnership issued Interests at the beginning of each calendar month, as set forth in the following chart, to both new limited partners as well as to existing limited partners making additional investments
The foregoing Interests were privately offered and sold only to “accredited investors” as defined in Rule 501(a) of Regulation D under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”), in reliance on the exemption from registration provided by Rule 506(b) of Regulation D under the 1933 Act, and with whom the Partnership, the General Partner or a selling agent acting on behalf of the General Partner has a pre-existing substantive relationship and with respect to whom it has been determined that Interests are a suitable investment.
No underwriting discounts or underwriting commissions were paid in connection with such sales.
(f) Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer
Pursuant to the Limited Partnership Agreement, limited partners may withdraw capital from their capital accounts in the Partnership as of the end of each calendar month. The withdrawal of capital by limited partners has no impact on the value of the capital accounts of other limited partners.
The following table summarizes limited partner withdrawals during the fourth calendar quarter of 2015:
Item 6.
Item 6. Selected Financial Data
Not required.
Item 7.
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Interests may be offered for sale as of the beginning, and may be redeemed as of the end, of each month.
The amount of capital raised for the Partnership should not have a significant impact on its operations, as the Partnership has no significant capital expenditure or working capital requirements other than for monies to pay trading losses, brokerage commissions and charges. Within broad ranges of capitalization, the General Partner’s trading positions should increase or decrease in approximate proportion to the size of the Partnership.
The Partnership raises additional capital only through the sale of Interests and capital is increased through trading profits (if any). The Partnership does not engage in borrowing.
The Partnership trades futures contracts on interest rate instruments, agricultural commodities, currencies, metals, energy and stock indices, and forward contracts on currencies, and may trade spot and options on the foregoing and swaps thereon. Risk arises from changes in the value of these contracts (market risk) and the potential inability of counterparties or brokers to perform under the terms of their contracts (credit risk). Market risk is generally to be measured by the face amount of the futures positions acquired and the volatility of the markets traded. The credit risk from counterparty non-performance associated with these instruments is the net unrealized gain, if any, on these positions plus the value of the margin or collateral held by the counterparty. The risks associated with exchange-traded contracts are generally perceived to be less than those associated with OTC transactions because exchanges typically (but not universally) provide clearinghouse arrangements in which the collective credit (in some cases limited in amount, in some cases not) of the members of the exchange is pledged to support the financial integrity of the exchange. In OTC transactions, on the other hand, traders must rely (typically but not universally) solely on the credit of their respective individual counterparties. Margins which may be subject to loss in the event of a default are generally required in exchange trading and counterparties may require margin or collateral in the OTC markets.
The General Partner has procedures in place to control market risk, although there can be no assurance that they will, in fact, succeed in doing so. These procedures primarily focus on (1) real time monitoring of open positions; (2) diversifying positions among various markets; (3) limiting the assets committed as margin or collateral, generally within a range of 5% to 35% of an account’s net assets, though the amount may at any time be higher; and (4) prohibiting pyramiding - that is, using unrealized profits in a particular market as margin for additional positions in the same market. The Partnership controls credit risk by dealing exclusively with large, well capitalized financial institutions as brokers and counterparties.
The financial instruments traded by the Partnership contain varying degrees of off-balance sheet risk whereby changes in the market values of the futures and forward contracts or the Partnership’s satisfaction of the obligations may exceed the amount recognized in the Statement of Financial Condition of the Partnership.
Due to the nature of the Partnership’s business, substantially all its assets are represented by cash, cash equivalents and U.S. government obligations, while the Partnership maintains its market exposure through open futures and forward currency contract positions.
The Partnership’s futures contracts are settled by offset and are cleared by the exchange clearinghouse function. Open futures positions are marked-to-market each trading day and the Partnership’s trading accounts are debited or credited accordingly. Options on futures contracts are settled either by offset or by exercise. If an option on a future is exercised, the Partnership is assigned a position in the underlying future which is then settled by offset. The Partnership’s spot and forward currency transactions conducted in the interbank market are settled by netting offsetting positions or payment obligations and by cash payments.
The value of the Partnership’s cash and financial instruments is not materially affected by inflation. Changes in interest rates, which are often associated with inflation, could cause the value of certain of the Partnership’s debt securities to decline, but only to a limited extent. More important, changes in interest rates could cause periods of strong up or down market price trends, during which the Partnership’s profit potential generally increases. However, inflation can also give rise to markets which have numerous short price trends followed by rapid reversals, markets in which the Partnership is likely to suffer losses.
The Partnership’s assets are generally held as cash or cash equivalents, including U.S. government securities or securities issued by federal agencies (or, to a limited extent, foreign government securities in connection with trading on non-U.S. exchanges), other CFTC-authorized investments or held in bank or certain other money market instruments (e.g., bankers acceptances and Eurodollar or other time deposits), which are used to margin the Partnership’s futures and forward currency positions and withdrawn, as necessary, to pay redemptions and expenses. Other than potential market-imposed limitations on liquidity, due, for example, to limited open interest in certain futures markets or to daily price fluctuation limits, which are inherent in the Partnership’s futures and forward trading, the Partnership’s assets are highly liquid and are expected to remain so. During its operations through December 31, 2015, the Partnership experienced no meaningful periods of illiquidity in any of the numerous markets traded by the General Partner.
Critical Accounting Estimates
The Partnership records its transactions in futures, forward and spot contracts, including related income and expenses, on a trade date basis. Open futures contracts traded on an exchange are valued at fair value, which is based on the closing settlement price on the exchange where the futures contract is traded by the Partnership on the day with respect to which net assets are being determined. Open spot contracts are recorded at fair value based on current market prices (“spot prices”). Open forward currency contracts are recorded at fair value, based on pricing models that consider the current market prices plus the time value of money (“forward points”) and contractual prices of the underlying financial instruments. The spot prices and forward points for open forward currency contracts are generally based on the 3:00 P.M. New York time prices provided by widely used quotation service providers on the day with respect to which net assets are being determined. The forward points from the quotation service providers are generally in periods of one month, two months, three months and six months forward while the contractual forward delivery dates for the foreign currency contracts traded by the Partnership may be in between these periods.
The General Partner’s policy is to calculate the forward points for each contract being valued by determining the number of days from the date the forward currency contract is being valued to its maturity date and then using straight-line interpolation to calculate the valuation of forward points for the applicable forward currency contract. The General Partner will also compare the calculated price to the forward currency prices provided by dealers to determine whether the calculated price is fair and reasonable.
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (“U.S. GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions, such as accrual of expenses, that affect the amounts and disclosures reported in the financial statements. Based on the nature of the business and operations of the Partnership, the General Partner believes that the estimates utilized in preparing the Partnership’s financial statements are appropriate and reasonable, however actual results could differ from these estimates. The estimates used do not provide a range of possible results that would require the exercise of subjective judgment. The General Partner further believes that, based on the nature of the business and operations of the Partnership, no other reasonable assumptions relating to the application of the Partnership’s critical accounting estimates other than those currently used would likely result in materially different amounts from those reported.
Results of Operations
The Partnership’s success depends on the General Partner’s ability to recognize and capitalize on trends and other profit opportunities in different sectors of the global capital and commodity markets. The General Partner’s investment and trading methods are confidential, so that substantially the only information that can be furnished regarding the Partnership’s results of operations is its performance record. Unlike most operating businesses, general economic or seasonal conditions have no direct effect on the profit potential of the Partnership, while, at the same time, its past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Because of the speculative nature of its trading, operational or economic trends have little relevance to the Partnership’s results. The General Partner believes, however, that there are certain market conditions - for example, markets with strong price trends - in which the Partnership has a better opportunity of being profitable than in others.
During 2015, the Partnership achieved net realized and unrealized gains of $11,721,263 from its trading operations (including foreign exchange transactions and translations). Brokerage commissions of $3,147,327, administrative expenses of $338,595 and custody fees of $27,293 were paid or accrued. The Partnership paid a profit share to the General Partner of $449,760. Interest income of $274,965 partially offset the Partnership’s expenses resulting in a net income after profit share to the General Partner of $8,033,253. An analysis of the trading gain (loss) by sector is as follows:
The Partnership was profitable for the year largely due to gains from long interest rate futures positions, and short energy and metal future trades. Trading of stock index and agricultural commodity futures were unprofitable, while currency trading was flat as gains from trading the U.S. dollar were offset by losses from non-dollar cross rate trading.
Vacillating growth, inflation, monetary policy and political prospects worldwide led to volatile trading conditions in most markets throughout 2015. Uneven growth against the background of stubborn, below target price and wage inflation in the U.S. produced on again-off again Federal Reserve rate hike discussions that were only resolved in December. The ECB’s QE program-started in the first quarter-seemed to put a floor under European growth, although the recovery has been sluggish and targeted inflation remains a distant hope. China’s policy makers continued to struggle with the transition away from export and manufacturing led growth to expansion driven by consumption and domestic demand; and from controlled to market based equity, foreign exchange and fixed income prices. Hence, even as the PBOC instituted numerous easing actions-including 6 official interest rate cuts in the past year-growth continued to ratchet lower. Finally, in Japan both growth and inflation continue to straddle the zero line. These large country problems spilled into smaller developed countries and into emerging markets as shrinking global trade hurt growth and as capital outflows pressured exchange rates and commodity producers. Throughout the year, markets were unsettled periodically by elections, politicking and political corruption that threatened the prevailing political structures in countries such as: Europe (Greece, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, France, U.K., and Poland), South America (Brazil, Argentina, and Venezuela), South Africa, Asia (China, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Singapore, and Australia), Canada and the U.S. Moreover, markets participants had to price in geopolitical ructions and terrorism that involved Syria, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, France and the U.S.
Although energy prices were supported during the first half of 2015 by some apparent stabilization of the worldwide growth outlook amid aggressive easing of monetary policy from the ECB, PBOC and Bank of Japan, energy prices plunged again during the July-December period. The unrelenting production emanating especially from Saudi Arabia, Russia, the U.S., Iraq, and prospectively from Iran, and historically high inventories drove crude prices to 11 year lows. U.S. natural gas prices plunged to 17 year lows in response to ample supplies and to especially warm Fall and Winter weather. As a result, short positions in Brent crude, WTI crude, heating oil and London gas oil and natural gas were highly profitable.
Industrial metals prices followed a similar path to energy prices, stabilizing or rising early in the year before falling sharply thereafter. A lack of growth acceleration in the developed world; the persistent slowdown in China’s manufacturing and real estate sectors; and constrained growth in emerging markets, especially weighed down by the Russian and Brazilian recessions, crimped demand for metals. Also, supplies of industrial metals were abundant, although there were some successful efforts by International companies and China to close some mines and reduce production that did restrain the price declines. Short positions in copper, aluminum, nickel, zinc and palladium were profitable.
Long positions in U.S. note, bond and short term interest rate futures were profitable, especially early in the year when growth disappointed and the Fed dragged its feet on raising official rates, and again during late summer when Chinese stocks collapsed and the Fed delayed once more. At other times, particularly in the fourth quarter when the Fed finally did raise official rates, long positions were unprofitable and the gains for 2015 were reduced. A long position in Canadian bonds was profitable as the energy collapse and lack of inflation underpinned demand. Long positions in Japanese bonds and British note and short-rate futures were fractionally profitable as well. For much of the year, long positions in Continental-German, French and Italian-interest rate futures were profitable as the ECB’s implementation of QE spurred demand. However, interest rates, after reaching extraordinarily low levels, spiked higher in late Spring amid signs that growth was accelerating and that the Greek crisis was deteriorating, leading to losses on long positions. Again in December, after the ECB’s extension of QE was viewed by market participants as inadequate, interest rates spiked higher, bringing losses. Overall, therefore, trading of Continental interest rate futures was only slightly profitable for 2015.
Against an uncertain economic and political background, trading of equity futures produced a fractional loss overall and was volatile throughout the year, especially during the Chinese stock collapse in June through August. Long positions in U.S. and Canadian stock index futures, and trading of Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese and South African equity futures registered losses. On the other hand, long positions in European equity futures were profitable in the wake of the ECB’s QE program. Also, long positions in Chinese and Hong Kong futures were profitable in the first half of the year, while short trades showed gains in the second half. A short vix trade was profitable too.
The U.S. dollar, which was buffeted by a multitude of economic and political concerns, strengthened during the year although the path was uneven. Long dollar positions versus the euro and yen were profitable as the ECB introduced QE in the first quarter and as the Bank of Japan added to its accommodation. Later in the year, as emerging economies and commodity producing countries came under pressure, long dollar trades against the currencies of Canada, Russia, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Turkey and New Zealand generated gains. On the other hand, a long dollar/short Swiss franc trade sustained a large loss when the Swiss National Bank unexpectedly ended the franc’s peg to the euro and the franc soared by 15% on January 15. Trading the dollar against the currencies of Australia, Chile, Korea, India, Poland, the Czech Republic, Sweden and South Africa also produced losses. Finally, non-dollar cross rate trading was unprofitable largely due to trading the euro against a variety of currencies.
Trading of agricultural commodities was fractionally unprofitable. Trading of corn and wheat produced losses, especially during June and July when prices, after having drifted lower under the weight of large inventories and solid crop reports, spiked higher on spurious reports that China was aggressively buying grains and on a revised USDA forecast suggesting a less favorable crop outlook. Prices subsequently receded but positions had swung from short to long and losses were sustained on both sides. Trading of cotton was fractionally unprofitable. A short coffee trade was profitable as large supplies weighed on prices and a long sugar trade produced a gain late in the year, as did short livestock trades.
During 2014, the Partnership achieved net realized and unrealized gains of $22,954,108 from its trading operations (including foreign exchange transactions and translations). Brokerage commissions of $2,821,666, administrative expenses of $305,679 and custody fees of $29,920 were paid or accrued. The Partnership paid a profit share to the General Partner of $124,849. Interest income of $133,007 partially offset the Partnership’s expenses resulting in a net income after profit share to the General Partner of $19,805,001. An analysis of the trading gain (loss) by sector is as follows:
The Partnership was profitable for the year largely due to gains from long interest rate futures positions, although profits from trading currency forwards, and stock index, energy and agricultural commodity futures augmented the advance. On the other hand, trading of metal futures was unprofitable.
The environment for trading these markets was favorable due to the differential growth, inflation and policy paths that were followed by the world’s major economies and central banks-Federal Reserve, ECB, Bank of Japan, People’s Bank of China, and Bank of England. Furthermore, within most major regions of the world - such as North America, Latin and South America, Europe, and non-Japan Asia - there were also varying trajectories for growth, inflation and policy among the constituent countries. While the worldwide growth outlook at the start of 2014 was optimistic, the results were somewhat disappointing due to several events including: the Russian incursions in Crimea and the Ukraine and subsequent sanctions that dented European growth; the collapse of oil and industrial commodity prices that weakened growth in commodity producing nations; and the greater than expected slowdown in China. Then, on the inflation front, an anticipated acceleration never materialized as prices for oil, industrial commodities and many foodstuffs fell sharply. Moreover, wages and core prices failed to accelerate even where growth remained solid, i.e. the U.S. and U.K. The mosaic for the trading environment was also influenced by numerous political and social events during 2014 such as: the coup in Thailand, Modi’s election in India, Jokowi’s victory in Indonesia, the Erdogan election in Turkey, Abe’s re-election in Japan, the Republican Congressional win in the U.S., the Scottish independence vote, the Hong Kong democracy protests and the liberalization of Shanghai equity markets. Finally, the persistent and escalating turmoil in the Middle East encompassing ISIL, Syria, Iran, Iraq and Libya and the terrorism it spawns shadowed market events throughout the year.
With inflation absent, growth somewhat disappointing and the social and political background unsettled, it should come as no surprise that long positions in interest rate futures across the maturity spectrum would be profitable. Thus, long trades in U.S., U.K., Australian, Canadian, Japanese, German, French and Italian note, bond and short term futures were profitable.
Equity market performances were mixed around the globe with several serious corrections throughout the year adding to trader anxiety. Long positions in U.S., Canadian, Japanese, Taiwanese, Indian, and South African stock index futures were profitable. These gains were partially offset by losses from long positions in Dutch, British, Euro stoxx, Korean and Australian futures. A short vix trade also registered a loss as volatility rose, particularly in the second half of the year.
Solid growth, the end of QE and prospects for interest rate increases underpinned the U.S. dollar, while sluggish growth, anemic inflation and increased ease in monetary policies undermined the euro and yen. Hence, long dollar trades versus the euro and yen were profitable, as were long dollar positions against the Czech, Swedish, Chilean and Israeli currencies. A long pound sterling trade relative to the dollar was also profitable, and so too were a long New Zealand Dollar/short Canadian dollar trade and trading of the euro versus the Swedish and South African units. On the other hand, short dollar trades against Korea, Mexico and Canada posted losses, as did trading of the U.S. unit against South Africa, Singapore and Turkey. Trading the euro versus Eastern Europe and Norway, and the Aussie dollar against the yen and pound were also unprofitable.
Short positions in corn, wheat and soybeans were profitable as record grain crops weighed on prices. A long soybean meal trade and spread trading of grains added to the gains. Trading of Kansas City wheat was slightly unprofitable. A short sugar trade benefitted from persistent oversupply and large inventories. A short cotton trade was profitable as Chinese demand softened and supplies remained plentiful. A long cattle trade produced a fractional gain.
Energy trading produced a gain. Long positions in crude oil, RBOB gasoline and London gas oil were profitable early in the year when growth was expected to improve and Middle-East turmoil underpinned prices. During the second half of 2014, as prices first fell and then collapsed as demand plunged and supply from the U.S. continued to advance, short trades in the same markets also registered small gains. The second half profits were tempered somewhat as short-term, non-trend factors caused us to exit our trend determined short positions, and at times take long positions even as energy prices fell. Energy spread trading was slightly profitable.
Metal prices were volatile in 2014 in the wake of changing outlooks on growth, inflation, and the U.S. dollar. Losses from trading copper, aluminum and lead outpaced the gain from a long nickel position that benefitted from export restrictions imposed by Indonesia, and from long platinum and short silver trades.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
The Partnership does not engage in off-balance sheet arrangements with other entities.
Contractual Obligations
The Partnership does not enter into any contractual obligations or commercial commitments to make future payments of a type that would be typical for an operating company or that would affect its liquidity or capital resources. The Partnership’s sole business is trading futures, forward currency, spot, option and swap contracts, both long (contracts to buy) and short (contracts to sell). All such contracts are settled by offset, not delivery. Substantially all such contacts are for settlement within four months of the trade date and substantially all such contracts and are held by the Partnership for less than four months before being offset or rolled over into new contracts with similar maturities. The Partnership’s Financial Statements, included as Exhibit 13.01 to this report, present a Condensed Schedule of Investments setting forth net unrealized appreciation (depreciation) of the Partnership’s open future and forward currency contracts, both long and short, at December 31, 2015.
Item 7A.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Not required.
Item 8.
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
The report of Deloitte & Touche LLP for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014, as required by this item, is included as Exhibit 13.01 to this report. Supplementary data is not required.
Item 9.
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
None.
Item 9A.
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
The General Partner, with the participation of the General Partner’s principal executive officers and principal financial officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of its disclosure controls and procedures with respect to the Partnership as of the end of the fiscal year for which this Annual Report on Form 10-K is being filed, and, based on its evaluation, has concluded that these disclosure controls and procedures are effective. There were no significant changes in the General Partner’s internal controls with respect to the Partnership or in other factors applicable to the Partnership that could significantly affect these controls subsequent to the date of their evaluation.
Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
The General Partner is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over the Partnership’s financial reporting. Internal control over financial reporting is defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), as a process designed by, or under the supervision of, a company’s principal executive and principal financial officers and effected by a company’s board of directors, management and other personnel to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The General Partner’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that:
• pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the Partnership’s assets;
• provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of the Partnership’s financial statements in accordance with U.S. GAAP, and that the Partnership’s receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of the General Partner’s management and directors; and
• provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of the Partnership’s assets that could have a material effect on the Partnership’s financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
The General Partner assessed the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting with respect to the Partnership as of December 31, 2015. In making this assessment, management used the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013). Based on its assessment, management has concluded that, as of December 31, 2015, the General Partner’s internal control over financial reporting with respect to the Partnership is effective based on those criteria.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires the General Partner to evaluate annually the effectiveness of its internal controls over financial reporting as of the end of each fiscal year, and to include a management report assessing the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting in all annual reports. There were no changes in the Partnership’s internal control over financial reporting during the quarter ended December 31, 2015 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Item 9B.
Item 9B. Other Information
None.
PART III
Item 10.
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
(a, b) Identification of Directors and Executive Officers
The Partnership has no directors or executive officers. The Partnership is controlled and managed by the General Partner.
The General Partner is a Delaware corporation operating in Greenwich, Connecticut, organized in May 1982 to manage discretionary accounts primarily in futures and forward markets. It is the corporate successor to a futures trading and advisory organization which has been continuously managing assets in the currency and futures markets using quantitative, systematic techniques since 1971.
The principals and senior officers of the General Partner as of December 31, 2015 are as follows:
Harvey Beker, age 62. Mr. Beker is Co-Chairman of the General Partner, and serves as a member of the General Partner’s Investment Committee. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from New York University (“NYU”) in 1974 and a Master of Business Administration degree in finance from NYU in 1975. From June 1975 to July 1977, Mr. Beker was employed by the investment bank Loeb Rhoades, Inc. where he developed and traded silver arbitrage strategies. From July 1977 to June 1978, Mr. Beker was a futures trader at the commodities and securities brokerage firm of Clayton Brokerage Co. of St. Louis. Mr. Beker has been employed by The Millburn Corporation since June 1978. He initially served as the Director of Operations for its affiliate, Millburn Partners, and most recently thereafter served as Co-Chief Executive Officer of the General Partner and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Millburn Corporation until November 1, 2015. During his tenure at the General Partner (including its affiliates, Millburn Partners and CommInVest), he has been instrumental in the development of the research, trading and operations areas. Mr. Beker became a principal of the firm in June 1982, and a partner in the predecessor to ShareInVest in April 1982. Mr. Beker became registered as an Associated Person and a Swap Associated Person of the General Partner effective November 25, 1986 and March 8, 2013, respectively. Additionally, he became listed as a Principal and registered as an Associated Person and a Swap Associated Person of The Millburn Corporation effective February 8, 1984, May 23, 1989 and March 8, 2013, respectively. He was also listed as a Principal and registered as an Associated Person of ShareInVest effective February 20, 1986 until February 25, 2007. Mr. Beker has also served as Co-Chairman of Millburn Asia, LLC and Millburn International, LLC (collectively, “Millburn International Group”) since each entity’s inception.
Gregg R. Buckbinder, age 57. Mr. Buckbinder is President and Chief Operating Officer of the General Partner and The Millburn Corporation and also serves as Chief Financial Officer of the General Partner. He joined the General Partner and The Millburn Corporation in January 1998 from Odyssey Partners, L.P., an investment management firm, where he was responsible for the operation, administration and accounting of the firm’s merchant banking and managed account businesses from July 1990 through December 1997. Mr. Buckbinder was employed by Tucker Anthony, a securities broker and dealer, from June 1985 to July 1990 where he was First Vice President and Controller, and from August 1983 to June 1984 where he designed and implemented various operations and accounting systems. He was with the public accounting firm of Ernst & Whinney from June 1984 to June 1985 as a manager in the tax department and from September 1980 to August 1983 as a senior auditor, with an emphasis on clients in the financial services business. Mr. Buckbinder graduated cum laude from Pace University (“Pace”) in 1980 with a B.B.A. in accounting and received an M.S. in taxation from Pace in 1988. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Mr. Buckbinder served as Senior Vice-President of the General Partner and The Millburn Corporation until November 1, 2015, and has also served as Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer and a Director of each entity in Millburn International Group since inception. Mr. Buckbinder became listed as a Principal of the General Partner effective February 5, 1999. He became listed as a Principal of The Millburn Corporation, effective March 23, 1998. Mr. Buckbinder became a partner in ShareInVest in January 2000. He was also listed as a Principal of ShareInVest, effective February 28, 2001 until February 25, 2007
George E. Crapple, age 71. Mr. Crapple is Co-Chairman of the General Partner and serves as a member of the General Partner’s Investment Committee. In 1966, he graduated with honors from the University of Wisconsin where his field of concentration was economics and he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. In 1969, he graduated from Harvard Law School, magna cum laude, where he was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. He was a lawyer with the law firm of Sidley Austin LLP, Chicago, Illinois, from June 1969 until April 1, 1983, as a partner since July 1975, specializing in commodities, securities, corporate and tax law. He was first associated with the General Partner in June 1976 and joined the General Partner and The Millburn Corporation (including its affiliates, Millburn Partners and CommInVest) on April 1, 1983 on a full-time basis. Mr. Crapple ceased his employment with The Millburn Corporation effective May 31, 2011 and his position as Co-Chief Executive Officer of the General Partner as of November 1, 2015. He became a partner in ShareInVest in April 1984. Mr. Crapple is a past Director, Member of the Executive Committee, Chairman of the Appeals Committee and a former Chairman of the Eastern Regional Business Conduct Committee of the NFA, past Chairman of the hedge fund industry group, the Managed Funds Association (the “MFA”), a former member of the Global Markets Advisory Committee of the CFTC and a former member of the board of directors of the Futures Industry Association. Mr. Crapple has also served as the Co-Chairman of each entity in Millburn International Group since inception. Mr. Crapple became listed as a Principal and registered as an Associated Person and Swap Associated Person of the General Partner effective September 13, 1984, April 2, 1988 and December 26, 2012, respectively. Additionally, he was listed as a Principal and registered as an Associated Person of The Millburn Corporation effective April 9, 1981 and May 23, 1989, respectively, until May 31, 2011. He was also listed as a Principal and registered as an Associated Person of ShareInVest effective February 20, 1986 until February 25, 2007.
Steven M. Felsenthal, age 46. Mr. Felsenthal is General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of the General Partner and The Millburn Corporation. Prior to joining the General Partner and its affiliates in January 2004, Mr. Felsenthal was a senior associate in the investment management group at the law firm of Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP (September 1999 - January 2004), where he represented and advised hedge funds, registered investment companies, investment advisers, broker-dealers and banks in connection with all facets of their asset management businesses, and a member of the tax department of the law firm of Kramer, Levin, Naftalis & Frankel LLP (October 1996 - September 1999). He graduated cum laude from Yeshiva University in 1991 with a B.A. in political science, and order of the coif from Fordham University School of Law in 1996, where he also served as an editor of the Fordham Environmental Law Journal. Mr. Felsenthal received an L.L.M. degree in taxation from NYU School of Law in 2001 and has written and been quoted in numerous published articles, and frequently speaks at conferences, on various topics related to investment management. Mr. Felsenthal is a member of the New York State Bar (since August 1997), a member of NFA’s Compliance and Risk Committee (since May 2014), a former member of the Steering Committee of the MFA’s Chief Compliance Officer Forum (June 2014 to December 2015), former Chairman of the MFA’s CPO/CTA Advisory Committee (November 2006 to June 2010) and former Co-Chairman of the Steering Committee of the MFA’s CPO/CTA Forum (June 2010 to January 2013), is currently a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Securities Operations & Custody (formerly known as the Journal of Securities Law, Regulation and Compliance) (since February 2007) and a regular lecturer for the Regulatory Compliance Association’s Chief Compliance Officer University (since May 2009). Mr. Felsenthal has also served as General Counsel, Chief Compliance Officer and Secretary of each entity in Millburn International Group since inception. Mr. Felsenthal became listed as a Principal of the General Partner and The Millburn Corporation effective June 24, 2004. Mr. Felsenthal also served as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer of ShareInVest.
Mark B. Fitzsimmons, age 68. Mr. Fitzsimmons is a Senior Vice-President of the General Partner and served in the same capacity at The Millburn Corporation until December 31, 2011. His responsibilities mainly involve business development. He joined the General Partner and its affiliates in January 1990 from the brokerage firm of Morgan Stanley & Co. Incorporated, a global financial services firm, where he was a Principal and Manager of institutional foreign exchange sales and was involved in strategic trading for the firm from October 1987 until January 1990. From September 1977 to October 1987, he was with the financial institution Chemical Bank New York Corporation (“Chemical”), first as a Senior Economist in Chemical’s Foreign Exchange Advisory Service and later as a Vice-President and Manager of Chemical’s Corporate Trading Group. While at Chemical, he also traded both foreign exchange and fixed income products. From September 1973 to September 1977, Mr. Fitzsimmons was employed by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, dividing his time between the International Research Department and the Foreign Exchange Department. He graduated summa cum laude from the University of Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1970 with a B.S. degree in economics. His graduate work was done at the University of Virginia, where he received a certificate of candidacy for a Ph.D. in economics in 1973. Mr. Fitzsimmons became listed as a Principal and registered as an Associated Person and a Swap Associated Person of the General Partner, effective July 2, 1993, April 15, 2009 and March 8, 2013, respectively. Mr. Fitzsimmons was a listed Principal and registered Associated Person of The Millburn Corporation effective June 20, 1995 until December 31, 2011 and October 12, 1992 until December 31, 2011, respectively. Mr. Fitzsimmons was a partner in ShareInVest beginning in January 2000. He was also a listed Principal of ShareInVest effective May 19, 1999 until February 25, 2007.
Barry Goodman, age 58. Mr. Goodman is Co-Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Trading of the General Partner and The Millburn Corporation, and serves as a member of the General Partner’s Investment Committee. Mr. Goodman plays an integral role in business and product development, and in the strategic direction of the firm as a whole. Mr. Goodman joined the General Partner and The Millburn Corporation (including its affiliate, Millburn Partners) in November 1982 as Assistant Director of Trading and most recently thereafter served as Executive Vice-President of the General Partner and The Millburn Corporation until November 1, 2015. His responsibilities include overseeing the firm’s trading operations and managing its trading relationships, as well as the design and implementation of trading systems. From September 1980 through October 1982, he was a commodity trader at the brokerage firm of E.F. Hutton & Co., Inc. (“E.F. Hutton”). At E.F. Hutton, he also designed and maintained various technical indicators and coordinated research projects pertaining to the futures markets. Mr. Goodman graduated magna cum laude from Harpur College of the State University of New York in 1979 with a B.A. in economics. Mr. Goodman has also served as President and a Director of each entity in Millburn International Group since inception. Mr. Goodman became listed as a Principal and registered as an Associated Person and a Swap Associated Person of the General Partner effective December 19, 1991, May 23, 1989 and January 14, 2013, respectively. He also became listed as a Principal and registered as an Associated Person and a Swap Associated Person of The Millburn Corporation effective June 20, 1995, April 5, 1989 and March 8, 2013, respectively. He became a partner in ShareInVest in January 1994. Mr. Goodman was a listed Principal of ShareInVest, effective May 19, 1999 until February 25, 2007.
Grant N. Smith, age 64. Mr. Smith is Co-Chief Executive Officer and Director of Research of the General Partner and The Millburn Corporation, and serves as a member of the General Partner’s Investment Committee. He is responsible for the design, testing and implementation of quantitative trading strategies, as well as for planning and overseeing the computerized decision-support systems of the firm. He received a B.S. degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (“MIT”) in 1974 and an M.S. degree from MIT in 1975. While at MIT, he held several teaching and research positions in the computer science field and participated in various projects relating to database management. He joined the predecessor entity to The Millburn Corporation in June 1975, and has been continuously associated with the General Partner, The Millburn Corporation and their affiliates since that time. Mr. Smith served as the Executive Vice-President of the General Partner and The Millburn Corporation until November 1, 2015 and has also served as a Director of each entity in Millburn International Group since inception, where he, along with the other Directors of each of those entities, is responsible for its overall management. Mr. Smith became listed as a Principal and registered as an Associated Person and a Swap Associated Person of the General Partner, effective December 19, 1991, April 15, 2009, and March 8, 2013, respectively. He became listed as a Principal and registered as an Associated Person and a Swap Associated Person of The Millburn Corporation effective June 20, 1995, May 21, 1992, and March 8, 2013, respectively. Mr. Smith also became a partner in ShareInVest in January 1994. He also was listed as a Principal of ShareInVest, effective May 19, 1999 until February 25, 2007.
Michael W. Carter, age 46. Mr. Carter is a Vice President, Director of Operations of The Millburn Corporation and Principal Accounting Officer of the General Partner. He is responsible for overseeing operations and accounting for the firm’s commodity pools. Prior to his promotion to Director of Operations in January 2011 and Principal Accounting Officer effective May 2014, Mr. Carter held the positions of Fund Controller (February 2001 until February 2011) and Senior Accountant (March 2000 until February 2001) with The Millburn Corporation. He graduated from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey - Newark in May 1997 with a B.S. in Accounting. Prior to joining the General Partner and its affiliates, he was employed with the accounting firm Rothstein Kass & Company, P.C., as a fund accountant from March 1997 until September 1997 and as a staff auditor from September 1997 until June 1999, and then an equity analyst covering restaurants with the brokerage firm of Sidoti & Company, LLC, which conducts independent small-cap equity research for institutional investors, from June 1999 until February 2000. He is a Certified Public Accountant. Mr. Carter became listed as Principal of the General Partner and The Millburn Corporation effective April 22, 2014 and July 1, 2014, respectively.
None of the individuals listed above currently serves as a director of a public company.
(c) Identification of Certain Significant Employees
None.
(d) Family Relationships
None.
(e) Business Experience
See Item 10 (a, b) above.
(f) Involvement in Certain Legal Proceedings
None.
(g) Code of Ethics
The Partnership has no employees, officers or directors and is managed by the General Partner. The General Partner has adopted an Executive Code of Ethics that applies to its principal executive officers, principal financial officer and principal accounting officer. A copy of this Executive Code of Ethics may be obtained at no charge by written request to Millburn Ridgefield Corporation, 411 West Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, Connecticut 06830 or by calling 203-625-7554 (ask for Client Services).
(h) Audit Committee Financial Expert
Because the Partnership has no employees, officers or directors, the Partnership has no audit committee. The Partnership is managed by the General Partner. Gregg Buckbinder serves as the General Partner’s “audit committee financial expert.” Mr. Buckbinder is not independent of the management of the General Partner. The General Partner is a privately owned corporation managed by its shareholders. It has no independent directors.
Item 11.
Item 11. Executive Compensation
The Partnership has no directors, officers or employees. None of the directors, officers or employees of the General Partner receive compensation from the Partnership. The General Partner makes all investment decisions on behalf of the Partnership. The General Partner receives monthly brokerage commissions of 0.417% of the Partnership’s net assets (which is reduced to 0.167% of net assets, plus the cost of all commissions and clearing charges due to third-party brokers, for partners who acquire their Interests directly through the General Partner) and an annual profit share of 20% of any new trading profit (net of brokerage commissions and administrative expenses).
Item 12.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters
(a) Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners
All of the Partnership’s general partner interest is held by the General Partner.
(b) Security Ownership of Management
The Partnership has no officers or directors. Under the terms of the Limited Partnership Agreement, the Partnership’s affairs are managed by the General Partner, which has discretionary authority over the Partnership’s trading. As of December 31, 2015, the General Partner’s interest was valued at $2,683,619, which constituted 1.99% of the Partnership’s capital as of December 31, 2015.
As of December 31, 2015, the directors and executive officers of the General Partner beneficially owned Interests as follows:
1 Interests held indirectly include Interests with respect to which a person holds voting or disposition power: (i) by virtue of serving as one of two or fewer trustees, custodian or officer of the beneficial owner which is a charitable entity, benefit plan or custody account for the benefit of a minor; (ii) with respect to certain Interests owned by members of a person’s immediate family; or (iii) through a self-directed benefit plan.
(c) Changes in Control
None.
(d) Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
None.
Item 13.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
See “Item 11. Executive Compensation ” and “Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters .” The Partnership paid $3,147,327 in brokerage fees to the General Partner and allocated $449,760 in profit share to the General Partner for the year ended December 31, 2015. The General Partner’s capital interest was allocated a net gain of $217,710 for the year ended December 31, 2015. The Partnership paid $2,821,666 in brokerage fees to the General Partner and allocated $124,849 in profit share to the General Partner for the year ended December 31, 2014. The General Partner’s capital interest was allocated a net gain of $449,887 for the year ended December 31, 2014. The General Partner has paid certain administrative expenses to third-parties on behalf of the Partnership, related to legal, accounting, auditing, printing, postage and similar administrative expenses, and has been or will be reimbursed without interest by the Partnership. The Partnership pays administrative expenses for legal, audit and accounting services, up to 0.25% per annum of the Partnership’s average month-end net assets. A portion of such expenses are paid to an affiliate of the General Partner, The Millburn Corporation, for the provision of accounting services to the Partnership. The Partnership incurred administrative expenses of $338,595 during the year ended December 31, 2015 of which $47,987 was paid or was payable to The Millburn Corporation. The Partnership incurred administrative expenses of $305,679 during the year ended December 31, 2014 of which $107,844 was paid or was payable to The Millburn Corporation. The General Partner pays all administrative expenses in excess of 0.25% per annum of the Partnership’s average month-end net assets. The Partnership is prohibited from making any loans.
Item 14.
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services
(1) Audit Fees
The aggregate fees for professional services rendered by Deloitte & Touche LLP in connection with their audit of the Partnership’s financial statements in connection with the statutory and regulatory filings for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 were approximately $118,000 and $111,000, respectively.
(2) Audit-Related Fees
The Partnership did not engage Deloitte & Touche LLP for internal control consulting services.
(3) Tax Fees
The Partnership did not engage Deloitte & Touche LLP for professional services for tax compliance, advice or planning services.
(4) All Other Fees
There were no other fees for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014.
(5) Pre-Approval Policies
The board of directors of the General Partner pre-approves the engagement of the Partnership’s auditor for all services to be provided by the auditor.
PART IV
Item 15.
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
(a)(1) Financial Statements
The following are included with the 2015 Annual Report to Security Holders, a copy of which is filed herewith as Exhibit 13.01.
Affirmation of Millburn Ridgefield Corporation
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Statements of Financial Condition
Condensed Schedules of Investments
Statements of Operations
Statements of Changes in Partners’ Capital
Statements of Financial Highlights
Notes to Financial Statements
(a)(2) Financial Statement Schedules
All Schedules are omitted for the reason that they are not required or are not applicable because equivalent information has been included in the financial statements or the notes thereto.
(a)(3) Exhibits as required by Item 601 of Regulation S-K
The following exhibits are included herewith.
Designation
Description
13.01
2015 Annual Report to Security Holders
31.01
Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification of Principal Executive Officer
31.02
Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification of Principal Executive Officer
31.03
Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification of Principal Financial Officer
32.01
Section 1350 Certification of Principal Executive Officer
32.02
Section 1350 Certification of Principal Executive Officer
32.03
Section 1350 Certification of Principal Financial Officer
100.INS
XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEF
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LAB
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.PRE
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
The following exhibits were filed by the Partnership as a part of its Registration Statement on Form 10 (Reg. No. 000-50725) on April 29, 2004 and are incorporated herein by reference.
Exhibit Number
Description of Document
3.01
Amended and Restated Certificate of Limited Partnership of Nestor Partners
3.02
Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Nestor Partners
10.04
Form of Selling Agreement
SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, on the 29th day of March, 2016.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the General Partner of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the date indicated.
Title with
Signature
General Partner
Date
/s/ Harvey Beker
Co-Chairman
March 29, 2016
Harvey Beker
(Director)
/s/ George E. Crapple
Co-Chairman
March 29, 2016
George E. Crapple
(Director)
/s/ Barry Goodman
Co-Chief Executive Officer
March 29, 2016
Barry Goodman
(Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ Grant N. Smith
Co-Chief Executive Officer
March 29, 2016
Grant N. Smith
(Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ Gregg Buckbinder
President and Chief Financial Officer
March 29, 2016
Gregg Buckbinder
(Principal Financial Officer)
/s/ Michael W. Carter
Vice President
March 29, 2016
Michael W. Carter
(Principal Accounting Officer)
(Being the principal executive officers, the principal financial officer and principal accounting officer, and a majority of the directors of Millburn Ridgefield Corporation)
EXHIBIT INDEX
The following exhibits are included herewith.
Designation
Description
13.01
2015 Annual Report to Security Holders
31.01
Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification of Principal Executive Officer
31.02
Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification of Principal Executive Officer
31.03
Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a) Certification of Principal Financial Officer
32.01
Section 1350 Certification of Principal Executive Officer
32.02
Section 1350 Certification of Principal Executive Officer
32.03
Section 1350 Certification of Principal Financial Officer
100.INS
XBRL Instance Document
101.SCH
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEF
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
101.LAB
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.PRE
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
The following exhibits were filed by the Partnership as a part of its Registration Statement on Form 10 (Reg. No. 000-50725) on April 29, 2004 and are incorporated herein by reference.
Exhibit Number
Description of Document
3.01
Amended and Restated Certificate of Limited Partnership of Nestor Partners
3.02
Amended and Restated Agreement of Limited Partnership of Nestor Partners
10.04
Form of Selling Agreement