Mon, Jun 29, 2026
A A A
Welcome Guest
Free Trial RSS pod
Get FREE trial access to our award winning publications
Alternative Market Briefing

65 equity hedge and 35 macro hedge funds launched in Q4 2025

Friday, March 27, 2026

Matthias Knab, Opalesque for New Managers:

Hedge fund launches hit four-year high as volatility drives demand

New hedge fund launches accelerated into 2026 while liquidations remained near historic lows, as investors positioned for increasing geopolitical risk, AI and cryptocurrency volatility, and uncertain economic growth and inflation. The estimated number of new funds launched in 2025 rose to 562 - the highest annual total since 2021 - according to the latest HFR Market Microstructure Report released by HFR.

Hedge fund liquidations also reached historically low levels, with closures totaling an estimated 287 funds - far below the 406 funds that shut down in 2024, which itself was the lowest level since 2004. As previously reported by HFR, total hedge fund industry capital reached another record level to begin 2026, surging to an estimated $5.16 trillion.

Q4 2025 launches led by Equity Hedge and Macro strategies

In Q4 2025, an estimated 135 new funds were launched, led by Equity Hedge (65) and Macro (35) funds - representing a trend shift from the prior quarter when Relative Value Arbitrage led new launches by strategy. On the liquidations side, an estimated 72 funds closed their doors in Q4 2025, led by Equity Hedge (35) and Relative Value (17) funds.

Performance dispersion within the HFRI Fund Weighted Composite Index expanded in 2025: the t......................

To view our full article Click here

Previous Opalesque Exclusives                                  
Previous Other Voices                                               
Access Alternative Market Briefing

 



  • Top Forwarded
  • Top Tracked
  • Top Searched
  1. Other Voices: Nvidia extraordinary growth and the challenge of sustaining demanding valuations over time[more]

    Antonio Di Giacomo, Senior Market Analyst at XS.com, writes: Nvidia has established itself as one of the most extraordinary growth companies in the global technology sector. Over the past two fiscal years, its revenues have risen from levels close to $60 billion annually to well above $120 billi

  2. Secondaries take center stage: What the 2026 PE landscape means for GPs and investors[more]

    Matthias Knab, Opalesque for New Managers: The 2026 edition of Dechert's Global Private Equity Outlook - "Signs of a Gradual Thaw" - marks a notable shift in industry sentiment. After years of compr

  3. And, finally: Time to share it with the people[more]

    From Newsoftheweird: Leavenworth, Washington, has become a tourist destination because of the Bavarian theme businesses have adopted there, NPR reported. One shop, the Leavenworth Nutcracker Museum, houses the world's largest nutcracker collection, thanks to 101-year-old Arlene Wagner. Wagner sta

  4. Opalesque Exclusive: Private Markets Evergreen Funds - An Insider's View[more]

    Matthias Knab, Opalesque for New Managers: Private Markets Evergreen Funds: What Investors Need to Know Before They Dive In The democratization of private markets is well underway. Structural barriers t

  5. Opalesque Exclusive: Governance, Scale, and Boutique Resilience in a Consolidating Hedge Fund Industry[more]

    Matthias Knab, Opalesque for New Managers: The hedge fund industry has undergone significant consolidation in recent years, with capital increasingly concentrated among large multi-strategy platforms. Yet boutique m