FAIRFIELD, Iowa, September 16, 2013 — Hedge funds lost 0.54% in August, according to the Barclay Hedge Fund Index compiled by BarclayHedge. The Index has a positive return of 5.22% year to date.
“Uncertainty over the Fed’s tapering timeline and possible US military intervention in Syria were primary drivers of an August global equities sell-off,” says Sol Waksman, founder and president of BarclayHedge. “The MSCI World Index was down 2.1 percent at month-end.”
Returns for hedge fund strategies were mixed in August, with ten of Barclay’s hedge fund indices losing ground while eight had gains.
The Emerging Markets Index lost 1.37%, Global Macro Index gave up 1.27%, Equity Long Bias was down 0.74%, and the Equity Long/Short Index slipped 0.59%.
“Rising US interest rates raised fears of fund outflows from net debtor emerging countries that rely on foreign investment,” says Waksman.
On the positive side, the Barclay Equity Short Bias Index gained 3.04%, Fixed Income Arbitrage was up 0.73%, Convertible Arbitrage rose 0.69%, and the Technology Index added 0.62%.
Year to date the strongest performing hedge fund strategy is Healthcare & Biotechnology, which has gained 15.97%. Pacific Rim Equities are up 14.35%, Equity Long Bias Index has gained 11.42%, and Distressed Securities have returned 10.64%.
Despite the jump by Equity Short Bias in August, the Index remains down 17.05% for the year. Emerging Markets have lost 1.74% after eight months.
The Barclay Fund of Funds Index lost 0.69% in August, but remains up 3.52% year to date.
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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 was founded in 1985 and actively tracks more than 6,200 hedge funds, funds of hedge funds, and managed futures programs. Each month Barclay provides updated performance rankings for 38 Hedge Fund categories, 16 CTA categories, and 7 UCITS categories.
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