Global growth boosts hedge funds

Hedge funds have performed well for three straight months.

In November, the Eurekahedge Hedge Fund Index expanded by 1.37% due to global markets gaining momentum. It edged past the MSCI World Index, which gained only 1.27% over the same period.

Read: Investor enthusiasm for hedge funds flat

Key hedge fund highlights:

• Total assets in the hedge fund industry are now at a record US$1.97 trillion, surpassing the previous record of US$1.95 trillion from June 2008.
• Net asset flows for the year have been recorded at US$122.2 billion, with net allocations to North American managers standing at US$64 billion year-to-date.
• European fund managers were up 7.41% year-to-date in November, with net asset inflows for the year standing at US$48.2 billion. That’s the highest level on record.
• Asia ex-Japan hedge funds outperformed the underlying markets by more than 10% year-to-date in November.
• Distressed debt investing has remained the best-performing strategy in 2013, up 14.81% year-to-date in November.
• Japanese hedge funds surged ahead of other regions, up 24% as at the end of November.

Read: Hedge funds deliver healthy gains

Global stats

Monetary policy moves have helped buoy markets throughout 2013.

Incoming Fed chair Janet Yellen recently stressed to the Senate’s Banking Committee that the U.S. QE program is helping sustain the U.S. recovery, for example, while European markets were supported when the ECB cut its interest rates to 0.25%.

Further, Asian markets have edged upwards on the back of strong Q3 GDP estimates from China.

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