FAIRFIELD, Iowa, December 16, 2009– Hedge funds gained 1.48% in November according to the Barclay Hedge Fund Index compiled by BarclayHedge.
“After a slight pullback in October, hedge funds regained their upward momentum in November,” says Sol Waksman, founder and president of BarclayHedge.
“The Barclay Hedge Fund Index is now up 21.60 percent in 2009, and hedge funds appear to be on the way to their best performance since 1999, when the Index gained 36.96 percent.”
Fifteen of Barclay’s 18 hedge fund indices gained ground in November. The Barclay Healthcare & Biotechnology Index jumped 3.92%, Distressed Securities rose 2.42%, Technology was up 2.45%, Global Macro gained 1.99%, Equity Long Bias was up 1.97%, and Emerging Markets rose 1.97%.
“The long side of most markets was the place to be in November,” says Waksman.
“Comments from the US Federal Reserve that interest rates will remain low for the foreseeable future helped to fuel rallies in global equities, fixed income instruments, and commodities.”
On the losing side, the Barclay Equity Short Bias Index fell 1.76% in November. Short Bias is down 14.29% year-to-date, and is the only Barclay Hedge Fund Index with a negative return in 2009.
The Barclay Fund of Funds Index gained 0.85% in November, and is up 9.41% for the year.
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Sol Waksman is an experienced media source, providing perspectives on hedge fund and managed futures trends. For more commentary or background, call 641-472-3456 or email swaksman@barclayhedge.com.
BarclayHedge (formerly The Barclay Group) was founded in 1985 and actively tracks more than 6,000 hedge funds, funds of hedge funds, and managed futures programs. Barclay has created and regularly updates 18 proprietary hedge fund indexes and eight managed futures indexes.
Institutional investors, brokerage firms and private banks worldwide utilize BarclayHedge data as performance benchmarks for the hedge fund and managed futures industries.