Hedge fund assets reach new high

Hedge funds posted their best performance in the last 12 months, up 1.79%, with fund managers delivering performance-based gains of US$15 billion and recording net asset inflows of US$11 billion during the month, according to the latest Eurekahedge Report. This brings the current assets under management of the global hedge fund industry to US$2.03 trillion—a new record high.

Additional findings include the following:

  • Long/short equities hedge funds recorded their 15th consecutive month of positive net asset flows, with net capital allocations to the strategy for 2014 standing at US$19 billion.
  • Trend following strategies posted their ninth consecutive month of net asset outflows in February and saw redemptions worth US$12.7 billion over this period.
  • Total assets in North American hedge funds reached a new high of US$1.36 trillion with assets growing by US$11.1 billion in the first two months of the year.
  • Japan investing hedge funds recorded their second consecutive month of negative returns, down 1.12% year-to-date.
  • Latin America-focused hedge funds have outperformed the MSCI EM Latin America Index by more than 6% on a year-to-date basis.
  • Distressed debt investing hedge funds delivered their eighth consecutive month of positive returns—up 2.25% during the month and 3.37% year-to-date.

In 2013, a total of 1,124 new funds were launched while 777 funds reported themselves as liquidated, bringing the current size of the hedge fund industry to 10,757 hedge funds.

This story was originally published on our sister publication, Advisor.ca.

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