Barclay Hedge Fund Index Gains 0.92% in May; Equity Prices in Developed Markets Lead the Way

FAIRFIELD, Iowa, June 18, 2015 — Hedge funds were up 0.92% in May, according to the Barclay Hedge Fund Index compiled by BarclayHedge. The Index has gained 4.58% year to date.

“Developed market equities lead the way to a profitable month for most hedge fund strategies,” says Sol Waksman, founder and president of BarclayHedge.

“Japan outperformed as the Nikkei rose 5.6% driven by positive economic news, the S&P 500 gained 1.29% in spite of expectations of rising US interest rates, and the MSCI Europe Index advanced 0.8% in the face of Greek exit fears.”

All but two of Barclay's 18 hedge fund indices had gains in May. The Healthcare & Biotechnology Index jumped 5.38%, Pacific Rim Equities gained 2.22%, European Equities were up 1.85%, Merger Arbitrage added 1.41%, and the Equity Long/Short Index gained 1.39%.

The Equity Short Bias Index was down 2.14% in May, and has lost 6.35% year to date. Equity Short Bias is the only hedge fund sector with a loss in 2015.

After five months, Barclay's Healthcare & Biotechnology leads all hedge fund strategies with a 12.64% gain. Pacific Rim Equities are up 8.02%, Emerging Markets have gained 7.97%, European Equities are up 5.22%, and Merger Arbitrage has added 5.23%.

The Barclay Fund of Funds Index gained 0.94% in May, and is up 3.82% for the year.

Click here to view five years of Barclay Hedge Fund Index data, or to download 18 years of monthly data.

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 is the global leader in providing independent, research-based information services to the alternative investment industry. Founded in 1985, Barclay currently maintains data on more than 6,100 hedge funds, fund of funds, and CTAs. No one has been in the business of collecting alternative investment data longer than BarclayHedge.

Institutional investors, brokerage firms, and private banks worldwide utilize BarclayHedge indices as performance benchmarks for the hedge fund and managed futures industries.