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Barclay Hedge Fund Index Down 0.64% in March; Trade War Fears Weigh on Equity Prices

FAIRFIELD, Iowa, April 18, 2018 — Hedge Funds lost 0.64% in March according to the Barclay Hedge Fund Index compiled by BarclayHedge, versus a 2.54% decline in the S&P 500 Total Return Index. Year to date, the Barclay Index is down 0.07%, while the S&P has lost 0.76%.

“Driven by trade war fears, equity prices declined for a second month as the U.S. announced tariffs on steel and aluminum, which were quickly reciprocated by the release of China’s tariff hit list,” says Sol Waksman, founder and president of BarclayHedge.

All but three of Barclay’s 17 hedge fund indices lost ground in March. The Event Driven Index dropped 1.83%, Pacific Rim Equities were down 1.14%, and Equity Long Bias lost 1.11%.

On the positive side, the Distressed Securities Index gained 0.70% in March, Healthcare & Biotechnology was up 0.35%, and the Equity Market Neutral Index rose 0.25%.

After three months in 2018, ten hedge fund indices have gains, while seven have losses. The Technology Index is up 4.03%, Healthcare & Biotechnology has a 3.73% gain, Distressed Securities are up 2.05%, and Emerging Markets have gained 1.24%.

Pacific Rim Equities are down 2.00% through March, the Event Driven Index has lost 1.53%, and the Global Macro Index is down 1.39%.

The Barclay Fund of Funds Index lost 0.37% in March, while maintaining a year to date 0.33% gain.

For a complete table of BarclayHedge Hedge Fund Index and Sub-Index numbers for March as well historical returns, click here.

Sol Waksman is the founder and president of BarclayHedge. Waksman is an industry expert and experienced media source, providing perspectives on hedge fund and managed futures trends.

BarclayHedge is the global leader in providing independent, research-based information services to the alternative investment industry. Founded in 1985, Barclay currently maintains data on more than 6,800 hedge funds, fund of funds, and CTAs. No one has been in the business of collecting alternative investment data longer than BarclayHedge.

Institutional investors, brokerage firms, and private banks worldwide utilize BarclayHedge indices as performance benchmarks for the hedge fund and managed futures industries.