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Hedge Funds Up 3.70% in January; Emerging Markets Index Jumps 6.81%

FAIRFIELD, Iowa, February 10, 2006 - - Hedge funds gained 3.70 percent in January, according to the Barclay Hedge Fund Index.

"Small-cap value and growth stocks were the star performers in U.S. equity markets in January," says Sol Waksman, founder and president of The Barclay Group.

"Many long/short equity hedge funds focus on the small-cap sector, where they find the most inefficiency and the greatest opportunity for profit."

Barclay's Emerging Markets Index continued its strong performance in January, gaining 6.81 percent. In 2005, Emerging Markets led Barclay's 18 hedge fund indices with an annual gain of 22.30 percent.

"Equity markets in the Asia/Pacific region and Eastern Europe also did well in January," says Waksman.

"Quite a few funds that focus on Mainland China, India, or Russia achieved mid-teens returns for their investors."

Overall, 17 out of 18 Barclay hedge fund indices showed gains in January. Equity Long Bias was up 4.52 percent, Technology was up 3.92 percent, European Equities gained 3.68 percent, and Barclay's Event Driven Index gained 3.75 percent. Only Equity Short Bias was down, losing 3.85 percent.

Click here to view eight years of the Barclay Hedge Fund Indices data.

The Barclay Group, founded in 1985, actively tracks more than 5,100 hedge funds and managed futures programs.

Barclay has created and regularly updates 18 proprietary hedge fund indices and 10 managed futures indices.

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

Sol Waksman is an experienced media source, providing perspectives on hedge fund and managed futures trends.

For more commentary, call Sol Waksman at 641-472-3456 or email sol@barclayhedge.com.