Citadel has reported its lowest annual return since 2018, primarily due to significant losses in natural gas trading. As of December 18, the firm's flagship fund achieved a 9.3% return, with gains in equities and fixed income partially offsetting earlier losses in commodities. The trading volume in energy markets has seen a sharp decline, highlighting the weak performance in this sector. This year marks only the sixth time since 1990 that Citadel's returns have fallen below 10%, as the firm continues to increase its focus on commodities.