Hedge funds witnessed another month of strong returns in February as upbeat sentiment dominated global markets. Optimism about the European debt situation and strengthening global economy fuelled rallies in the underlying markets evident in the Eurekahedge Hedge Fund Index and MSCI World Index1 gains of 2.05% 2and 4.55% respectively during the month.
The size of the hedge fund industry stands at US$1.75 trillion as total assets under management (AuM) saw an increase of over US$11 billion. Most of this increase was attributed to performance as managers chalked up gains of US$11.2 billion from their portfolios. Net flows were flat to slightly positive for February, standing at US$300 million, as portfolio rebalancing among investors continued. Revised figures for January show that managers attracted US$12 billion during the month and with investor sentiment turning positive once again, the industry is expected to attract significant allocations in the days ahead.
