Hedge Funds Post 0.88% Return in October, According to Backstop BarclayHedge
Sector gainers far outnumber losers as strong consumer spending and full employment push US stocks to new highs in October
FAIRFIELD, Iowa, Nov. 12, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The pace of hedge fund returns picked up a bit in October, with the industry posting a monthly gain of 0.88%, according to the Barclay Hedge Fund Index compiled by BarclayHedge, a division of Backstop Solutions. By comparison, the S&P Total Return Index was up 2.17% in October.
For the year-to-date through October, hedge funds returned 7.95%. Over the same period, the S&P Total Return Index gained 23.17%.
October saw positive returns across 28 of Barclay's 31 hedge fund indices. Hopeful economic signs on several fronts contributed to the month's gains.
"In spite of slowdowns in business investment and manufacturing, consumer spending, buoyed by full employment, has been rising," said Sol Waksman, president of BarclayHedge. "Anticipation of a third rate cut this year by the US Fed and a return to a normalized yield curve helped propel the S&P 500 to new high ground in October."
Among the numerous hedge fund sectors in the black for October, the Healthcare & Biotechnology Index led the way with a 5.88% return for the month. Other leading gainers in October included the Technology Index, up 2.46%, the Option Strategies Index, with a 2.41% return, the Emerging Markets Global Equities Index, gaining 2.17%, and the Emerging Markets Latin American Equities Index, up 2.13%.
Only three hedge fund sectors were in the red for October. They included the Emerging Markets MENA Index, off 0.49% for the month, the Global Macro Index, down 0.33%, and the Multi Strategy Index which lost 0.15%.
As October ended all but two sectors remained in the black for the year-to-date. Leading gainers for 2019 included the Emerging Markets Eastern European Equities Index, returning 16.14% on the year, the Technology Index, gaining 14.58%, the Healthcare & Biotechnology Index, posting a 14.23% year-to-date return, and the Emerging Markets Latin American Equities Index, up 13.35%.
The sectors in the red year-to-date through October were the Volatility Trading Index, down 1.47%, and the Equity Market Neutral Index, off 0.24% on the year.
For a complete table of BarclayHedge Hedge Fund and Sub-Index results for October, as well as historical returns, click here.
About Backstop Solutions
Backstop's mission is to help the institutional investment industry use time to its fullest potential. We develop technology to simplify and streamline otherwise time-consuming tasks and processes, enabling our clients to quickly and easily access, share, and manage the knowledge that's critical to their day-to-day business success. Backstop provides its industry-leading cloud-based productivity suite to investment consultants, pensions, funds of funds, family offices, endowments, foundations, private equity, hedge funds and real estate investment firms.
BarclayHedge, a division of Backstop, currently maintains data on more than 7,100 hedge funds, funds of funds and CTAs. The BarclayHedge Indices are utilized by institutional investors, brokerage firms and private banks worldwide as performance benchmarks for the hedge fund and managed futures industries.
SOURCE BarclayHedge, a division of Backstop Solutions Group
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