Family Office

Hedge funds a bit higher in July

FWR Staff 15 August 2005

Hedge funds a bit higher in July

Tech funds, a weak strategy for the year to date, led the way. Hedge funds saw an average month-over-month increase of 1.74% in July, according to HedgeFund.net, whose PerTrac Universes track the performance of the 4,900 or so hedge funds that report to HedgeFund.net's website. Meanwhile the S&P 500, a broad gauge of U.S. equity performance, was up 3.60% last month.

The top 25% of hedge funds had an average gain of 2.90%. The bottom 25% increased 0.39%. (Please see charts below.) 

Technology-sector funds, which had dragged earlier in the year, were July�s top strategy, with an average increase of 4.20%. Short-bias funds saw the biggest losses, shedding 3.16%.

The year-to-date average gain for hedge funds was 3.52% at the end of July. The S&P 500 was up 1.84% for the calendar year through July. Year to date, the top 25% of hedge funds were up 6.67% by the end of July, while the bottom 25% was up 0.24%.

HedgeFund.net's PerTrac Universes are part of PerTrac Online, an analytics tool for HedgeFund.net subscribers. –FWR

Top strategies Strategy July mean Year-to-date mean Technology sector 4.20% -0.06% Value 3.84% 6.09% Long/Short equity 2.62% 5.17% Source: HedgeFund.net.

Bottom strategies Strategy July mean Year-to-date mean Short bias -3.16% 3.82% CTA/Managed futures 0.21% -1.48% Fund of funds - market neutral 0.57% 2.54%Source: HedgeFund.net.

Selected strategy details, July 2005 Strategy 25th percentile 50th percentile Mean 75th percentile All funds 2.90% 1.32% 1.74% 0.39% Convertible arbitrage 2.62% 1.36% 2.31% 0.71% CTA/Managed futures 1.47% 0.15% 0.21% -1.70% Distressed 2.90% 2.00% 2.08% 1.14% Emerging markets 2.81% 1.13% 1.19% -0.28% Event driven 3.40% 1.98% 2.18% 1.26% Fixed income (non-arbitrage) 2.03% 0.87% 0.79% 0.05% Fixed Income arbitrage 1.75% 0.60% 1.01% 0.35% Fund of funds - market neutral 1.07% 0.80% 0.57% -0.29% Fund of funds - multi-strategy 1.92% 1.18% 1.36% 0.75% Fund of funds - single strategy 2.64% 1.20% 1.62% 0.78% Long/Short equity 4.16% 2.60% 2.62% 0.88% Macro 2.40% 1.09% 1.48% 0.36% Market neutral equity 1.75% 0.58% 0.95% -0.10% Merger/Risk arbitrage 1.48% 1.23% 1.22% 0.92% Short bias -0.13% -5.55% -3.16% -5.67% Technology sector 6.74% 3.81% 4.20% 1.78% Value 4.62% 2.41% 3.84% 1.45%Source: HedgeFund.net.

Purchase a reprint of this story.

Register for WealthBriefing today

Gain access to regular and exclusive research on the global wealth management sector along with the opportunity to attend industry events such as exclusive invites to Breakfast Briefings and Summits in the major wealth management centres and industry leading awards programmes