Introduction

After delivering excellent results in 2009, North American hedge funds continued the positive trend through the first few months of 2010. The Eurekahedge North American Hedge Fund Index advanced 4.40% in the January - April 2010 period, carrying on the momentum from last year when the sector delivered the best returns on record by gaining 23.72%.

We estimate the current size of the region’s hedge fund industry to be US$1 trillion in assets, managed by 4,451 funds, making up more than two-thirds of the global sector. Despite the losses and redemptions seen in 2008 and early 2009, this represents an annualised increase of 15.36% in the assets under management and 7.92% in the number of funds in the last decade.

Figure 1 below shows the growth of the North American hedge fund industry since 2000.

Figure 1: Industry Growth over the Years

Click on the image for an enlarged preview

As with hedge funds globally, North American managers also suffered from heavy redemptions in the August 2008 – April 2009 period, reaching a low of…

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