Management fees are calculated as a percentage of the Partnership’s adjusted net assets per Class as of the end of each month and are affected by trading performance, subscriptions and redemptions. Accordingly, they must be analyzed in relation to the fluctuations in monthly net asset values. Management fees for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2019 increased by $68,509 and $270,832, respectively, as compared to the corresponding periods in 2018. The increase in management fees is due to an increase in average adjusted net assets per Class during the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2019 as compared to the corresponding periods in 2018.
Fees are paid to the General Partner for administering the business and affairs of the Partnership including, among other factors, (i) selecting, appointing and terminating the Partnership’s commodity trading advisor and (ii) monitoring the activities of the commodity trading advisor. These fees are calculated as a percentage of the Partnership’s adjusted net assets per Class as of the end of each month and are affected by trading performance, subscriptions and redemptions. Accordingly, they must be analyzed in relation to the fluctuations in monthly net asset values. General Partner fees for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2019 increased by $36,774 and $143,077, respectively, as compared to the corresponding periods in 2018. The increase in General Partner fees is due to an increase in average adjusted net assets per Class during the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2019 as compared to the corresponding periods in 2018.
Incentive fees are based on the new trading profits generated by the Advisor at the end of the quarter, as defined in the advisory agreement between the Partnership, the General Partner and the Advisor. There were no incentive fees earned for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2019 and 2018. To the extent the Advisor incurs a loss for the Partnership, the Advisor will not be paid incentive fees until the Advisor recovers any net loss incurred by the Advisor and earns additional new trading profits for the Partnership.
The Partnership pays professional fees, which generally include fees such as legal and accounting expenses related to the offering, certain offering costs and filing, reporting and data processing fees. Professional fees for the years ended 2019 and 2018 were $177,132 and $279,058, respectively.
In the General Partner’s opinion, the Advisor continues to employ its trading methods in a consistent and disciplined manner and its results are consistent with the objectives of the Partnership and expectations for the Advisor’s programs. The General Partner continues to monitor the Advisor’s performance on a daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis to assure these objectives are met.
Commodity futures markets are highly volatile. The potential for broad and rapid price fluctuations and rapid inflation increases the risks involved in commodity trading, but also increases the possibility of profit. The profitability of the Partnership depends on the existence of major price trends and the ability of the Advisor to correctly identify those price trends correctly. Price trends are influenced by, among other things, changing supply and demand relationships, weather, governmental, agricultural, commercial and trade programs and policies, national and international political and economic events and changes in interest rates. To the extent that market trends exist and the Advisor is able to identify them, the Partnership expects to increase capital through operations.
In allocating substantially all of the assets of the Partnership to the Advisor, the General Partner considers, among other things, the Advisor’s past performance, trading style, volatility of markets traded and fee requirements. The General Partner may modify or terminate the allocation of assets to the Advisor at any time. The Advisor’s trading program is described in the “Overview” section of this Item 7.
(d)Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements. None.
(e)Contractual Obligations. None.
(f)Operational Risk.
The Partnership is directly exposed to market risk and credit risk, which arise in the normal course of its business activities. Slightly less direct, but of critical importance, are risks pertaining to operational and back office support. This is particularly the case in a rapidly changing and increasingly global environment with increasing transaction volumes and an expansion in the number and complexity of products in the marketplace.
Such risks include:
Operational/Settlement Risk — the risk of financial and opportunity loss and legal liability attributable to operational problems, such as inaccurate pricing of transactions, untimely trade execution, clearance and/or settlement, or the inability to process large volumes of transactions. The Partnership is subject to increased risks with respect to its trading activities in
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