Komfie Manalo, Opalesque Asia: Hedge funds were off to their best start since 2013 as the Barclay Hedge Fund Index gained 3.71% through April, with four consecutive profitable months in 2017, data compiled by BarclayHedge showed. Month-to-date, hedge funds posted 0.69% last month.
The April result is the best start of hedge funds since 2013 when the Barclay Hedge Fund Index gained 4.74% during the same period, and also began the year with four profitable months in a row. Over the past 14 months, the Index has had 12 months of gains, and only two losses.
"Emmanuel Macron's victory over the anti-EU candidate in the French presidential election allayed Frexit fears, and the subsequent rally in European equities lead the gains in global markets to its sixth consecutive month," says Sol Waksman, founder and president of BarclayHedge.
Fourteen hedge fund indices had gains in April. The Technology Index was up 1.91%, European equities were up 1.19%, the Event Driven Index gained 1.18%, equity long bias was up 1.14%, and merger arbitrage gained 1.05%.
Three indices had losses in April. The Global Macro Index was down 0.59%, Pacific rim equities lost 0.39%, and distressed securities were down 0.22%.
Year to date, all 17 of Barclay's hedge fund indices have gains. In the first four months of 2017, the Technology Index is up 9.04%, healthcare and biotechnology has gained 8.20%, and emerging markets are up 7.16%. Equity long bias has gained 4.39%, European Equities...................... To view our full article Click here
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