Bristol Oak runs a focused family of systematic programs built on a single framework — not a grab-bag of competing strategies. Each program applies the same risk-first discipline to a defined market and time horizon, identifying mathematically-defined setups and sizing every position around a reward-to-risk profile before it is taken.
Our work is grounded in an unglamorous conviction: the frameworks that endure are built on time-tested mathematics and statistical discipline — not on the narrative of a single market cycle. What compounds is not cleverness. It is discipline, over time.
Our strategies are derived from foundational principles of price behavior, base rates, and the statistics of repeated decisions — not from forecasts about what any single market will do next. What works because it is structurally true will continue to work.
Every trade is built around a defined reward-to-risk profile in which target gains are meaningfully larger than the loss accepted. Outcomes are governed by the law of large numbers across many independent decisions, not by the conviction of any single one.
Entry, exit, and sizing follow a codified rules framework, tested and deployed consistently. Bristol Oak does not trade forecasts, headlines, or conviction — durable performance comes from a repeatable process, not a clever view.
Bristol Oak operates a focused set of systematic futures programs. Each shares the same risk-first framework and is delivered through separately managed accounts — differing in the markets traded, the time horizon, and the capacity we accept.
Our flagship mandate trades a diversified set of global macro futures from the daily chart, holding defined swing setups across multiple days as they develop. It applies the firm's core framework across six sectors — currencies, metals, energies, treasuries, commodities, and equity indices — at a measured pace, targeting asymmetric reward-to-risk on every position. This is the broadest expression of the Bristol Oak approach and the natural allocation for investors seeking diversified, systematic participation in managed futures.
Three concentrated intraday programs, each traded in a single market and each capped at $2 million in assets under management. By design, they are highly selective — offered to only a small number of qualified high-net-worth investors, and structured around a monthly cycle. They are higher-risk mandates and are not suitable for every investor.
A concentrated intraday program trading E-mini S&P 500 futures. It takes a small number of defined setups each session and closes flat by the end of the trading day, seeking to translate intraday movement into a monthly result.
A single-market intraday program trading gold futures, applying the same disciplined setup selection to precious-metals volatility. Positions are opened and closed within the session, with risk defined before every entry.
An intraday program dedicated to crude oil futures — one of the most liquid and actively traded energy markets. Trades are intraday only, sized around a fixed per-trade risk and closed before the session ends.
Program capacity, minimums, and specific terms are described in the firm's Disclosure Document and investment management agreement and are provided only to Qualified Eligible Persons on inquiry. Stated capacity figures are maximums and may be reduced or closed at the firm's discretion. The intraday programs employ concentrated, higher-frequency single-market exposure and carry a heightened risk of loss, up to the full amount of capital allocated. No performance is represented, targeted, or guaranteed.
Across every Bristol Oak program, management is compensated through a monthly preferred return and a profit share — a structure built so the firm earns its incentive only once an investor has received a defined preferred return first.
Each month, the first 1% of net trading profit — the preferred return, or hurdle — accrues entirely to the investor before management shares in anything.
Net profit beyond the 1% preferred return is split 50/50 between investor and management, aligning both sides around the same outcome.
Results are assessed on a monthly cycle, and performance-based compensation applies only to net profits actually realized — never to assets under management alone.
The intraday programs are structured to produce a monthly cadence. Where elected, realized profits — the investor's preferred return plus their share above it — are crystallized and distributed at the end of each month, and the hurdle resets for the month ahead. The intent is a recurring, month-to-month rhythm, though any distribution depends entirely on realized profit, which will vary and may be zero.
In the flagship program the preferred return is cumulative. If a month falls short of the 1% hurdle, the shortfall rolls forward to the next month: management shares in profits only once the investor's accrued preferred return has been satisfied across periods. It is designed for patient, compounding participation rather than a monthly draw.
None of the figures above are a forecast, projection, target, or guarantee of return or income. The preferred return and profit split describe only how any profits, if they occur, are shared between investor and management. Trading futures involves a substantial risk of loss; in any month a program may produce no profit or a loss, distributions may be zero, and an investor may lose all of the capital allocated. The intraday programs, which trade concentrated single-market exposure, carry a higher risk of loss than the flagship program. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results.
"We are not trying to predict markets. We are trying to participate in them — with a defined edge, executed with discipline, many times over."
We operate through separately managed accounts.
Clients retain ownership and custody of their accounts while Bristol Oak is granted discretionary trading authority under an investment management agreement. The structure is designed for transparency, control, and clear accountability.
The account is held away from the manager with the client's selected custodian, FCM, or approved platform.
Discretionary trading authority, risk parameters, reporting, and operational terms are documented before trading begins.
Clients receive direct account reporting and retain visibility into positions, balances, and trading activity.
Separately managed account terms are subject to the firm's Disclosure Document and investment management agreement. Investment results will vary, and there can be no assurance that any trading program will be profitable.
Most portfolios are diversified on paper but dependent on equity markets in practice. During periods of stress, stocks and bonds often move together — and diversification breaks down precisely when it is needed. Managed futures can offer a distinct allocation with different sensitivities: a genuinely separate source of return within a broader asset allocation, traded across regulated, liquid global macro markets.
Risk management is central to Bristol Oak's approach. Our framework operates across three pillars: a defined risk architecture, automated enforcement at the system level, and independent oversight from third parties.
Whichever program an investor selects, the engagement is the same: a dedicated, separately managed account. Bristol Oak serves qualified investors, institutions, family offices, and advisors.
For institutions, family offices, and qualified high-net-worth individuals seeking a dedicated account structure, Bristol Oak offers discretionary trading advisory across its programs in its registered capacity as a Commodity Trading Advisor.
Every program is delivered through separately managed accounts only. Program selection, custody, platform, account authority, reporting, and operational terms are discussed and defined during onboarding.
Prospective advisory clients must meet QEP criteria under CFTC Regulation 4.7. Program minimums and capacity vary; the intraday programs are capacity-limited and offered to a small number of investors. Full program terms are described in the firm's Disclosure Document and investment management agreement, provided on inquiry.
Bristol Oak's separately managed account program is available only to Qualified Eligible Persons as defined by CFTC Regulation 4.7. In brief, a prospective advisory client must satisfy both an investor-status test and a portfolio test.
Summary only. Certain categories of client are exempt from the portfolio test. Eligibility is verified during onboarding before any advisory relationship is established.
Bristol Oak operates with a small, focused team. The program is overseen by its founder, with senior industry perspective provided by an experienced advisor.
Dr. Williams is the founder of Bristol Oak Management and serves as its Chief Investment Officer. He holds a Ph.D. and serves as an adjunct professor of theology, bringing academic rigor and a research-first orientation to the firm's approach. He founded Bristol Oak to deploy a focused family of systematic futures programs with structural alignment between firm and investor — a standard he believes is rare in the managed futures industry.
Tim is a senior investment professional with nearly thirty years of institutional experience across global equities, multi-asset portfolios, derivatives, FX, and commodities, with deep expertise in metals markets. He has held senior roles at a global private bank and at institutional asset management firms, associated with investment platforms exceeding $1 billion in assets under management. He provides strategic and industry perspective to Bristol Oak's management.
Bristol Oak Management is structured to be a long, patient business — built to operate the discipline of an institutional research shop at a scale that keeps each investor relationship genuinely aligned.
Bristol Oak Management, LLC is a Texas limited liability company registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission as a commodity trading advisor, and is a member of the National Futures Association under NFA ID 0570529.
The firm operates an SMA-only advisory model supported by independent compliance oversight and client account infrastructure held away from the manager.
We welcome inquiries from qualified investors, institutions, and advisors who have taken the time to understand managed futures and are evaluating systematic programs as part of a diversified mandate.