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“Positive signs in the US housing and labor markets coupled with receding risk of a Greek default helped drive equity markets and the hedge funds that invest in them to another profitable month in February,” says Sol Waksman, founder and president of BarclayHedge.

“Eighty-eight percent of the hedge funds that have so far reported a February return have recorded a profit.”

The Barclay Emerging Markets Index was up 3.91% in February. Following a 5.06% gain in January, the Index has jumped 9.17% in the first two months of 2012.

“This is the strongest start for the Barclay Emerging Markets Index in 15 years,” says Waksman. “The previous best start was 17.53% in the first two months of 1997.”

Seventeen of the 18 indices tracked by BarclayHedge had gains in February. In addition to Emerging Markets, the Pacific Rim Equities Index was up 4.23%, Equity Long Bias gained 3.51%, European Equities were up 3.19%, and the Equity Long/Short Index added 2.23%.

The Equity Short Bias Index continues to plummet against rising equity markets. Short Bias traders lost 5.28% in February, and the Index is down 14.00% after just two months in 2012.

“Opportunities to make money selling stocks short are severely limited under current market conditions,” says Waksman.

The Barclay Fund of Funds Index was up 1.50% in February.

BarclayHedge

Press Release

BM