Demand for hedge funds crept upward in May, according to the Barclay Fund Flow Indicator, as equity markets rebounded and the US economy improved. Industry assets remained at an all-time high of $3.0 trillion.
Data drawn from more than 5,000 hedge funds in the BarclayHedge database estimated that the hedge fund industry (excluding CTAs) took in $4.0 billion (0.1% of assets) in May, reversing $1.9 billion in redemptions the month before. Industry assets climbed 3.5% year-to-date and surged 17.6% over the trailing 12 months, according to the Barclay Fund Flow Indicator, a monthly big-picture report on the health of the alternative investments industry.
“For all the stress over trade and volatility in May, hedge fund investors noted that US economic fundamentals improved amid strengthening corporate earnings, low inflation pressures, and the prospect of mild upticks in interest rates,” said Sol Waksman, founder and president of BarclayHedge.