Activist hedge funds brought in the strongest returns in the hedge fund industry in April, according to Evestment.
The Evestment April hedge fund industry performance report revealed that activist hedge funds see returns of +2.21 percent.
It showed that hedge funds were generally positive in April. However, the report found that some significant segments of negative returns that are weighing in on industry-wide performance metrics.
The industry returned +0.38 percent, bringing year-to-date (YTD) 2018 returns to a just-barely positive +0.20 percent.
It also showed that YTD performance for activist strategies at +0.27 is just above the overall industry YTD return.
Overall, 60 percent of reporting funds saw positive returns in April, while only 52 percent of funds are positive YTD.
According to the report, this indicates a distorted picture for the industry going forward with still two-thirds of the year ahead and a volatile geopolitical and business climate continuing to rattle world markets.
Highlights from the report included relative value credit and macro strategies turn in negative performances for the month, at -0.01 percent and -0.013 percent.
Meanwhile, managed futures funds were +0.07 percent while YTD managed futures funds are the big laggard among primary strategies YTD at -2.32 percent.
Additionally, among firms with primary regional or country exposure, India-focused funds were the big winner in April, returning +3.53 percent, according to the report.
The reported also revealed that on average, funds based in the US, continental Europe and the UK saw positive results in April and so far this year. But, funds based in Asia saw -0.96 percent returns in April and are down YTD at 0.72 percent.
