The Barclay Hedge Fund Index gained 1.56 percent in December and is up 12.35 percent for the year, according to flash estimates from The Barclay Group.
“December was a month where everything went right,” says Sol Waksman, the founder and president of The Barclay Group. “All of the MSCI Developed Market Indices and all but five of the Emerging Markets Standard Indices measured gains for the month. Somehow, even the short-sellers found a way to profit in this global equity rally.”
All 18 of Barclay’s hedge fund indices had positive returns in December. Barclay’s Emerging Markets Index jumped 3.57 percent, its sixth straight month of gains. Emerging Markets was up 22.02 percent in 2006, and has averaged a 20 percent annual return over the past five years.