Investment Risks

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2012

Investment Risks [Abstract]

Investment Risks

7.  Investment Risks

The Partnership's investments in the affiliated Trading Companies expose the Partnership to various types of risks that are associated with Futures Interests trading and the markets in which the Trading Companies invest.  The significant types of financial risks to which the Trading Companies are exposed are market risk, liquidity risk, and counterparty credit risk.

The rapid fluctuations in the market prices of Futures Interests in which the Trading Companies invest make an investment of the Partnership volatile.  If a Trading Advisor incorrectly predicts the direction of prices in the Futures Interests in which it invests, large losses may occur.

Illiquidity in the markets in which the Trading Companies invest may cause less favorable trade prices. Although the Trading Advisors for each Trading Company generally will purchase and sell actively traded contracts where last trade price information and quoted prices are readily available, the prices at which a sale or purchase occur may differ from the prices expected because there may be a delay between receiving a quote and executing a trade, particularly in circumstances where a market has limited trading volume and prices are often quoted for relatively limited quantities.

The credit risk on Futures Interests arises from the potential inability of counterparties to perform under the terms of the contracts.  Each Trading Company has credit risk because the commodity brokers will act as the futures commission merchants or the counterparties with respect to most of each Trading Company's assets.  Each Trading Company's exposure to credit risk associated with counterparty nonperformance is typically limited to the cash deposits with, or other form of collateral held by, the counterparty.