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Matthias Knab, Opalesque for New Managers:

Hedge funds did more than recover from March's losses in April - they posted one of the strongest months the industry has ever recorded. The HFRI Fund Weighted Composite Index advanced +4.79% for the month, the seventh-best monthly return in the benchmark's 36-year history and the largest single-month gain since November 2020, according to data released by HFR.

The headline most outlets are running with is the composite. The more striking number sits one level deeper. The HFRI Event-Driven (Total) Index jumped +5.22% in April, the second-best monthly performance in that index's recorded history, exceeded only by the +7.0% reading from November 2020. The driver, per HFR, was managers repositioning ahead of what the firm describes as a record IPO cycle and a supportive M&A backdrop for 2026.

Kenneth J. Heinz, President of HFR, attributed the rebound to a combination of easing geopolitical fears - including a ceasefire in the Iran conflict that had defined March - a renewed bid in technology and AI shares, greater clarity around Federal Reserve leadership, and a constructive view on the upcoming IPO cycle. Heinz cautioned that managers remain "tactically positioned" given expectations for further market disruption and volatility ahead.

The H......................

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