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Barclay Hedge Fund Index Gains 2.84% in January; Rising Equities Lift Most Hedge Fund Strategies

Written by superadmin | Feb 13, 2013 12:00:00 AM

FAIRFIELD, Iowa, February 13, 2013 — Hedge funds gained 2.84% in January, according to the Barclay Hedge Fund Index compiled by BarclayHedge.

“Fiscal cliff fears receded, European banks strengthened, China avoided a hard landing, Japan stimulated its economy, and global equities rallied,” says Sol Waksman, founder and president of BarclayHedge.

“Economic sentiment continues to improve and investors have moved to ‘risk on’ mode as fears of a euro collapse diminish.”

The Barclay Pacific Rim Equities Index was up 5.23% in January, Equity Long Bias gained 4.13%, European Equities added 4.12%, Emerging Markets were up 3.66%, Healthcare & Biotechnology gained 3.55%, and the Equity Long/Short Index rose 2.85%.

The Barclay Fund of Funds Index gained 2.08% in January.

Sixteen of Barclay’s 18 hedge fund strategies began 2013 with a gain. On the losing side, Equity Short Bias dropped 8.06% in January and Merger Arbitrage lost 1.34%. Equity Short Bias suffered a record loss in 2012, giving up 24.18% for the year.

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Sol Waksman is an experienced media source, providing perspectives on hedge fund and managed futures trends. For more commentary or background, call 641-472-3456 or email swaksman@barclayhedge.com.

BarclayHedge was founded in 1985 and actively tracks more than 6,200 hedge funds, funds of hedge funds, and managed futures programs. Each month Barclay provides updated performance rankings for 38 Hedge Fund categories, 16 CTA categories, and 7 UCITS categories.

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