Global macro hedge funds registered $7.22bn inflows last month, their largest monthly inflow since January 2010 in March.
Total inflows in to the category in the first quarter of the year was $11.46bn, which eVestment read as indication that investors are showing clear demand for strategies which focus on thematic approaches to major public and derivative markets.
Total hedge fund industry AUM now stands at $3.107tn globally.
The global database said this renewed interest appears to be driven by investors’ “acknowledgement of these funds’ strong performance in late 2016 and so far this year, coupled with a desire to hedge against future market turbulence given uncertainty in several geo-political and business arenas”.
Managed futures also were big winners in March, with assets up $7.06bn for the month and $6.47bn for the quarter.
This, said eVestment, is further evidence that institutional investors are using the segment of the industry in hopes of benefiting from systematic approaches that have worked well in past periods of market turbulence.
