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Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York: Investors allocated an estimated $11.87 billion into hedge funds in February, continuing the trend of high demand for hedge fund products in the early months of 2018. This brings YTD inflows to $21.83 billion, according to the newly released February 2018 eVestment Hedge Fund Asset Flows Report.
February is typically a bellwether month for hedge funds in terms of gauging investor interest, however, there has been a slight change in plans. Investors put a record amount of money into hedge funds in the month of January reversing the historical redemption trend that marks the start of the year. Asset flows dropped slightly in February, which could make it difficult to forecast how the rest of the year will shake out.
February's asset flows were also highly concentrated, with most allocations and redemptions limited to a small number of products. Most were focused on multi-asset class funds, with a focus on macro, multi-strategy, and managed futures strategies.
On an individual strategy basis, eVestment's recent look into US public pension allocation targets showed strong implied demand for hedge funds, with macro strategies appearing to be a prime target. Investors have changed their sentiment on macro in 2018, macro funds saw positive flows in January and February after four consecutive months of redemptions to close out 2017.
Investors also continued to allocate to managed futures funds despite continued poor performance...................... To view our full article Click here
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