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FAIRFIELD, Iowa, May 16, 2011 – Hedge funds gained 1.32% in April according to the Barclay Hedge Fund Index compiled by BarclayHedge. Year-to-date the Index is up 3.24%.
“Higher prices for equities and bonds in April provided an accommodating environment for most hedge fund strategies,” says Sol Waksman, founder and president of BarclayHedge.
“Strength in the bond market despite US dollar weakness and a well bid equity market took many participants by surprise,” says Waksman. “Yet looking at the positive returns of fixed income-based strategies in April, it appears that hedge fund managers were not caught unawares.
All but two of Barclay’s 18 hedge fund indices had gains in April. The Barclay Healthcare & Biotechnology Index was up 3.45%, Technology gained 2.67%, Global Macro was up 1.96%, Emerging Markets gained 1.82%, and the European Equities Index rose 1.78%.
“Hedge funds have made steady progress since September of 2010, as evidenced by eight straight months of gains for the Barclay Hedge Fund Index,” says Waksman.
The Equity Short Bias Index has lost ground for eight months in a row and gave up another 1.94% in April. Equity Short Bias is down 7.66% year-to-date.
The Barclay Fund of Funds Index gained 1.14% in April and is up 1.98% in 2011.
Click here to view five years of Barclay Hedge Fund Index data, or download 13 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 was founded in 1985 and actively tracks more than 6,000 hedge funds, funds of hedge funds, and managed futures programs. Each month Barclay provides updated performance rankings for 38 Hedge Fund categories and 16 CTA categories.
Institutional investors, brokerage firms and private banks worldwide utilize BarclayHedge indices as performance benchmarks for the hedge fund and managed futures industries.
