“Equity markets in both developed and emerging countries saw share prices rally in May,” which had positive effects on hedge funds, Waksman, founder and president of BarclayHedge Ltd., said in a statement.

All 18 of the firm’s hedge fund indexes had gains for the month, including the Barclay Emerging Markets Index, which posted a 10.72% rise, and the Equity Long Bias Index, which added 6.94%. The firm’s Event Driven Index posted a gain of 5.90%.

The Barclay Emerging Markets Index was the leading strategy with a year-to-date return of 20.88%, the report said.

“Emerging markets have provided excellent trading opportunities for hedge fund managers, offering double-digit gains in seven of the past 10 years,” Mr. Waksman said in the statement.

Of the 2,400 hedge funds that provided data for May, 90% reported gains, he said.

BarclayHedge Ltd. of Fairfield, Iowa, tracks more than 6,000 hedge funds, funds of hedge funds and managed-futures programs.

Source:investmentnews.com