Wed, Oct 1, 2025
A A A
Welcome Guest
Free Trial RSS pod
Get FREE trial access to our award winning publications
Industry Updates

Hedge funds report sixth month of gains for 2019 in July

Friday, August 16, 2019
Opalesque Industry Update - Hedge funds had another positive month in July, returning 0.44% according to the Barclay Hedge Fund Index, compiled by BarclayHedge, a division of Backstop Solutions. By comparison, the S&P Total Return Index was up 0.66% in July.

Hedge funds continue to build on their solid performance in the first half of the year, finishing July with a 7.68% year-to-date return and positive returns in six of the past seven months. The S&P Total Return Index was up 21.69% year-to-date through July 31.

"Anticipation of the first interest rate cut by the Fed in more than ten years propelled the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq to all-time highs in July," said Sol Waksman, president of BarclayHedge. "Concerns over the economic implications of a no-deal Brexit and slowing growth in Europe helped push German 10-year bond yields to new lows. The equity and interest rate sectors provided enough of a tailwind for a positive month."

July's leaders included the Emerging Markets Latin America Index, up 3.03% for the month, the Emerging Markets Latin American Equities Index, with a 2.94% return, and the Option Strategies Index gaining 2.18%.

While the hedge fund industry posted positive results in July, there were five sectors among those tracked by BarclayHedge that were in negative territory for the month. Among sectors in the red for July, the Healthcare & Biotechnology Index saw the biggest drop with a 2.86% decline. The Emerging Markets Asian Equities Index was down 1.07% in July.

"Lawsuits targeting opioid producers and concerns over high drug prices in the US have been having a negative impact on the equity prices of firms in the healthcare sector," said Waksman. "Additionally, fears of an escalating US-China trade war coupled with the impact of an already-slowing Chinese economy put a damper on Asian equity markets."

All sectors but two were in positive territory year-to-date through July. The Volatility Trading Index was down 0.97% for the year and the Equity Market Neutral Index off 0.35% year-to-date.

Leading the year-to-date gainers was the Emerging Markets Eastern European Equities Index, up 18.56% for the year. Other double-digit year-to-date gainers include the Emerging Markets Eastern Europe Index, gaining 18.21% for the year, the Emerging Markets Latin America Index, posting a 14.63% gain through July 31, and the Emerging Markets Latin American Equities Index, up 14.59% so far in 2019.

What do you think?

   Use "anonymous" as my name    |   Alert me via email on new comments   |   
Previous Opalesque Exclusives                                  
Previous Other Voices                                               
Access Alternative Market Briefing

 



  • Top Forwarded
  • Top Tracked
  • Top Searched
  1. Global fintech investment slumps to seven-year low of $95.6bn[more]

    Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia: Global fintech investment plummeted to $95.6 billion across 4,639 deals in 2024, marking its lowest level since 2017, as investors grappled with persistent macroeconomic challenges and geopolitical tensions, revealed a study. According to the Pulse of Fintech H2'

  2. Opalesque Exclusive: Private capital deal value climbed 19% in 2024[more]

    Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York: Private capital deal value climbed 19% in 2024, according to the latest data from the Global Private Capital Association. Growth was driven by big-ticket investments across Southeast Asia, Latin America and Central & Eastern Europe (CEE). Investor confidence

  3. Opalesque Roundup: Citco: 77% of hedge funds achieved positive returns in January 2025: hedge fund news[more]

    In the week ending February 21st, 2025, a report revealed that hedge funds enjoyed one of their best opening months this decade in January, as Equity and Multi-Strategy funds posted strong returns. Funds administered by the Citco group of companies (Citco) delivered a weighted average return of 4%,

  4. Opalesque exclusive: Permuto's new equity unbundling product to change investment model[more]

    Opalesque Geneva for New Managers: Here is a different way of owning stocks coming to you soon: the option of holding just the dividend portion of a stock, independent of its price movements. Or capturing the stock&

  5. Opalesque Exclusive: Hedge funds outperform mutual funds in managing extreme risk contagion - key insights for investors[more]

    Matthias Knab, Opalesque for New Managers: Hedge funds and mutual funds are among the most prominent vehicles for investors seeking growth and diversification. However, a critical question persists: which fund ty