Hedge funds have entered 2011 with restrained performance, as most strategies inched forward only slightly in January. The HedgeFund Intelligence Global Composite Index, which tracks nearly 4,000 single-manager hedge funds, produced a median gain of 0.29% in January against a 2.26% rise in the MSCI World Index (net).
Americas,
Europe, Asia
Funds in the Americas rose 0.50% in January, against a 2.26% gain for the S&P 500 Index. European funds gained 0.11% against a 3.94% gain for the MSCI Europe Index (net). Asian funds gained 0.33% against a decline of 0.36% for the MSCI Pacific Free Index (net).
Event-driven hedge funds were the best performers globally, gaining 0.75% in January.
Hedge fund performance this January is not out of line with previous years. In 2010, the Global Composite Index was up 0.09%, easily beating a 3.7% decline in the S&P 500 Index. With its 2.26% gain last month, the S&P 500 Index produced its best January since its 2.55% rise in the first month of 2006.
The performance
figures cited above and below represent the median returns for the HFI
Indices. These are *early estimates* that were accurate as of 12pm GMT / 7am EST
today. For the latest performance figures, or to see the average (mean)
returns for these indices, please visit the landing pages for each index
(linked below):
Global
Composite
0.29%
Americas
(AR Magazine Indices) Composite
0.50%
Asia
(AsiaHedge Indices) Composite
0.33%
Europe
(EuroHedge Indices) Composite
0.11%
Funds
of funds (InvestHedge Indices) Composite
-0.23
UCITS
(Absolute UCITS Indices) Composite
0.77%