Hedge funds were up 1.35 per cent in January, according to the Barclay Hedge Fund Index compiled by BarclayHedge, with all but two of Barclay’s 17 hedge fund indices gaining ground during the month.
Emerging Markets got off to a fast start in 2017 with a 2.63 per cent gain, Technology was up 2.57 per cent, Healthcare and Biotechnology gained 2.22 per cent, the Event Driven Index added 2.08 per cent, and Distressed Securities were up 1.78 per cent.
“A global stock market rally pushed US equity prices to new all-time highs — again, as the promise of tax cuts and fiscal stimulus fuelled investor confidence and provided an ample tailwind for a profitable month,” says Sol Waksman (pictured), founder and president of BarclayHedge.
The only losing hedge fund strategies in January were Merger Arbitrage, which was down 0.38 per cent and Global Macro which slipped 0.02 per cent.
Looking back at 2016, the Barclay Hedge Fund Index was up for the fifth year in a row, with a total gain of 6.09 per cent. The Index has recorded positive returns in 18 of the past 20 years, with one-year losses occurring only in 2008 and 2011.
The Barclay Fund of Funds Index gained 0.89 per cent in January.
