Barclay Hedge Fund Index Up 0.03% in January; Macro Funds Profit from Market Turmoil and Gain 1.91%

FAIRFIELD, Iowa, February 19, 2015 — Hedge funds were up 0.03% overall in January, according to the Barclay Hedge Fund Index compiled by BarclayHedge.

“Central banks took center stage in January’s financial turmoil as the Swiss National Bank unexpectedly abandoned its currency peg to the euro and the European Central Bank surprised investors when it announced monthly QE asset purchases that exceeded expectations,” says Sol Waksman, founder and president of BarclayHedge.

“Equity markets in the US sold off, while European and Asian markets rallied.”

Hedge fund performance was mixed in January, with 12 of Barclay’s hedge fund indices making gains, while six indices lost ground. The Healthcare & Biotechnology Index was up 2.30%, Global Macro added 1.91%, the Multi Strategy Index gained 1.39%, Fixed Income Arbitrage was up 1.08%, and European Equities rose 0.94%.

“In spite of the explosive upward move of the Swiss franc, Global Macro funds were well-positioned to profit from long US Dollar positions held against short positions in a basket of currencies,” says Waksman.

In the loss column, Distressed Securities gave up 1.27%, Equity Long Bias was down 1.10%, the Event Driven Index lost 0.86%, and Pacific Rim Equities were down 0.80%.

Healthcare & Biotechnology was the strongest performing hedge fund sector in 2014 with a 21.81% gain, and is off to another fast start in 2015 with a 2.30% return in January.

The Barclay Fund of Funds Index gained 0.11% in January.

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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 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 6,100 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.