Hedge funds were up for the second month running in August, amid positive movements in underlying markets. The Eurekahedge Hedge Fund Index was up 0.63%1 during the month, bringing its year-to-date (YTD) return to a healthy 3.16%. Comparatively the MSCI World Index gained 1.64%2 on the back of increasing prospects of quantitative easing and positive US economic data – with its YTD gain standing at 7.79%.
Total assets under management (AUM) increased by US$7.8 billion during the month, bringing the size of the industry to US$1.74 trillion. Hedge funds posted performance-based gains of US$2.9 billion as most strategies were profitable during the month. After three months of net redemptions, the industry also witnessed healthy allocation activity with net positive asset flows of US$5 billion as investor sentiment turned positive.
Figure 1: Summary monthly asset flow data since January 2010
Key highlights for August 2012:
- Hedge funds gained 0.63% in August and were up 3.16% year-to-date.
- Relative value hedge funds are up 7.38% August year-to-date and have attracted significant assets in 2012 – total AUM now stands at US$60 billion.
- Event driven and distressed debt hedge funds posted their best return in six months.
The full article is available in The Eurekahedge Report accessible to paying subscribers only.
Subscribers may continue to login as usual to download the full report and non-subscribers may email database@eurekahedge.com to enquire on how to obtain the full research report.
Footnote
