Liquid Alternatives News

Hedge funds posted mixed performance in June as election and political risks surged throughout Asia, Europe and the US, with European and Asian central banks cutting interest rates despite inflationary pressures, and gains in US large cap tech stocks hitting record highs.

Australia’s $2.6tn pension market, one of the world’s fastest-growing pools of retirement capital, is reducing its hedge fund investments amid growing regulatory scrutiny over fees and performance, according to a report by Bloomberg.

Hedge funds that bet against Tesla have been hit hard by a substantial rally in the company’s share price, with 18% of over 500 hedge funds tracked by Hazeltree holding short positions in Tesla by the end of June, up from 15% at the end of March, according to a report by Bloomberg.

Confidence among hedge fund managers dipped in the second quarter of the year, falling below the historical average as measured by AIMA’s Hedge Fund Confidence Index, although managers remain generally optimistic about the prospects for their businesses.

Hedge funds saw mixed performance in the first half of the year, with macro fund Caxton Associates struggling to maintain its gains, while some multi-strategy and systematic funds excelled, according to a report by Reuters.

Bridgewater Associates will increase the performance fees for its onshore funds in China, capitalising on strong returns that have attracted significant assets despite ongoing challenges in the country’s RMB5.2tn ($715bn) hedge fund industry, according to a report by Bloomberg.

Die Zahl der neu aufgelegten Hedgefonds ist zu Jahresbeginn angestiegen, während die Liquidationen konstant blieben, sodass das Vermögen der Branche ein Rekordniveau von 4,3 Billionen US-Dollar erreichte, wie HFR-Präsident Kenneth J. Heinz berichtet. Er geht davon aus, dass die Branche 2024 weiter wachsen wird.

Hedge fund majors Citadel and Millennium have posted solid gains in the first half of the year, continuing a strong performance trend for the multi-strategy firms that dominate the industry, according to a report by the Financial Times.

Hedge funds sold global equities in June at the fastest rate seen in two years, marking the third consecutive month of net selling, with the sell-off being primarily driven by short sales while long positions remained relatively stable, according to a report by Reuters.

Jonathan Xiong, the former co-CEO of Millennium’s Asia operations, has launched a new hedge fund, Arrowpoint Investment Partners, which began trading on Monday with over $1bn in assets and more than 15 portfolio managers, according to a report by Business Insider.

Bridgewater Associates, the hedge fund major led by CEO Nir Bar Dea, has launched a new strategy that uses machine learning as the primary basis for its investment decision making process, according to a report by Bloomberg.

New hedge fund launches surged while liquidations remained steady to begin 2024 with industry assets hitting a record level of $4.3tn as fund managers positioned for growing geopolitical risk, according to the latest HFR Market Microstructure Report.