Hedge funds in India have seen a positive start to the year, driven by gains in equities and various trading strategies. According to a report by Goldman Sachs' prime brokerage, fundamental equities long/short hedge funds saw a 6.28% increase in the first quarter. Additionally, systematic long/short funds recorded gains of 11%, with technology-focused funds rising by 11.3% on average.
The market rally in the first quarter was largely fueled by optimism surrounding interest rates reaching a peak. This optimism translated into a 9.09% increase in the S&P 500 index during the quarter. Investors typically seek hedge funds for stability during market turmoil, alongside strong performance in favorable market conditions.
Last year, hedge funds globally posted gains of 8.12%, trailing behind the 24% gain of the S&P 500. However, this year's rally has been more diverse, extending beyond traditional tech giants like Alphabet, Amazon, and Apple, to sectors such as energy, financials, and industrials.
Multi-strategy hedge funds, which trade across various asset classes, have also performed well. Schonfeld's flagship fund, Strategic Partners, rebounded with a 6.2% gain after lagging behind last year. Similarly, Citadel's flagship Wellington fund saw a positive performance of 5.75% across all its strategies.
Exposure to emerging markets has been lucrative for some hedge funds. Macro hedge fund Discovery reported a 17% net gain, driven by investments in Latin America and short positions in China.
However, the fixed income market has faced challenges, with rising U.S. Treasuries yields impacting performance. Citadel's Global Fixed Income fund, for instance, rose 2.05%, underperforming other funds due to the challenging environment.
Despite these challenges, the overall sentiment remains positive, with hedge funds navigating through market dynamics to deliver favorable returns to investors in India.