Hedge Fund Stock Pickers Post 9% April Returns; Tech Funds Up 19%
GS•Goldman Sachs’ prime brokerage reported that hedge fund stock pickers returned over 9% in April, marking the best monthly performance since 2016. Tech-focused funds gained nearly 19% and systematic strategies delivered 2.9% as the S&P 500 rallied 10% and STOXX 600 rose 5%.
1. Market Rally Boosts Hedge Funds
Global equities surged in April, with the S&P 500 advancing over 10% and the STOXX 600 climbing nearly 5%, providing a tailwind for a wide range of hedge fund strategies that capitalized on broad market momentum.
2. Goldman Sachs Reports Record Stock Picker Returns
Goldman Sachs’ prime brokerage noted that discretionary equity stock pickers delivered more than 9% returns in April, the strongest monthly result since the firm began tracking performance in 2016.
3. Performance of Systematic and Macro Strategies
Systematic hedge funds posted a 2.9% gain by riding crowded momentum trades rather than betting against them, while macroeconomic funds profited from early positioning for de-escalation and fading the oil shock.
4. Agility Drives Multi-Strategy Fund Success
Multi-strategy managers such as Citadel and Schonfeld Strategic Advisors leveraged faster decision-making to pivot from March losses, shifting into single-stock positions and relative-value trades to finish April positively.
