Today's Hedge Funds Pulse
Paul Tudor Jones places $8 billion volatility bet on U.S. small‑cap stocks
Hedge fund legend Paul Tudor Jones has filed an $8 billion options position linked to the iShares Russell 2000 ETF, split into roughly $5.1 billion of puts and $3 billion of calls. The structure resembles a volatility‑focused straddle, signaling expectations of large price swings in U.S. small‑cap equities rather than a directional view.
TRADE Talks: Prescient Investment Management’s Cheree Dyers
Prescient Investment Management’s Cheree Dyers argues that digital assets and tokenised instruments can boost capital efficiency and settlement speed, but only if they dovetail with existing custody, clearing and regulatory frameworks. She highlights that faster, near‑real‑time settlement reduces counter‑party exposure, yet integration challenges can add complexity rather than simplify processes. Liquidity provision and market‑making remain critical, as fragmented tokenised markets risk wider spreads and weaker price discovery. Dyers also notes a broader buy‑side shift toward a barbell portfolio mix of low‑cost ETFs and alternative assets, driving portable‑alpha strategies.
Stay Cautious on Retail, Long Amazon, Short Walmart, Costco
(In contrast to the bullish view expressed yesterday on the Fin TV show - see SLINK's confident consumer outlook on @cnbc), we remain cautious on the consumer. This week we put on a three way pairs trade - long $AMZN/Short $COST...
Steve Cohen's Hedge Fund Delivers $3.4B Payday, 2025 Top
Mets owner Steve Cohen got a $3.4 billion payday from his hedge fund last year. Here are the top earners in 2025: https://t.co/ZRuqldhcBZ https://t.co/p6eqszYRZM
Nordea’s Active Rates Strategy Tops €1 Billion
Nordea’s Active Rates Opportunities Fund has broken the €1 billion AUM threshold, underscoring strong investor appetite for low‑risk, active‑duration fixed‑income solutions. Since its 2019 launch, the fund has delivered more than 2 % per annum in net returns above cash, even as...
Quant Hedge Fund Alpha Closes After 25 Years
A $2 billion quantitative hedge fund that recently added “Alpha” to its name, is calling it quits after three consecutive years of losses and roughly 25-year run https://t.co/69PJrwEni7
Blackstone’s “Defensive Pivot” Week: Home Services Deal + AI Infrastructure:
Blackstone announced the acquisition of Champions Group, a leading home‑services provider, while Odyssey and its management retain a minority stake. Simultaneously, the firm is leading a financing round of more than $1 billion for Neysa to build India’s premier AI‑infrastructure platform....
Brookfield “Top-Performing Alternative Firm” Unshaken in 2026 by AI or Private Credit:
Brookfield Asset Management has emerged as the top‑performing alternative firm in 2026, outpacing peers as AI and private‑credit turbulence reshape the industry. Its portfolio is anchored in global infrastructure, renewable power, and essential services that generate contracted, inflation‑linked cash flows....
Citco Monthly Hedge Fund Update
Citco’s January 2026 hedge‑fund update shows a continued winning streak, with the group’s funds delivering a 0.9% weighted‑average return, marking ten consecutive positive months. Global Macro strategies posted the strongest performance at 6.5%, while smaller funds (<$200 m) outperformed larger peers....
Ed Wachenheim: Homebuilders, Cyclicals & GM Trim Explained
In this episode, Ed Wachenheim of Greenhaven Associates discusses his $6.1‑$6.2 billion equity portfolio, which remains heavily concentrated in cyclical and housing‑related stocks such as General Motors, Lennar, Toll Brothers, PulteGroup and D.R. Horton. He explains recent trims—most notably a 34%...
Retail Shorts Ahead as High‑Income Spending Slips
The show panelists (don't be shocked, they are bullish) love retail/consumer stocks - we shorted $COST and $WMT in the last 24 hours. We are looking for more consumer shorts. We believe lower home and stock prices will take away from the...
Record Hedge Fund Bet on Magnificent 7 Risks Collapse
⚠️Almost everybody is piling into the SAME TRADE: Hedge fund net allocation to Magnificent 7 stocks is up to a RECORD 22%. This is more than DOUBLE the level seen in 2022. At the same time, these stocks remain among the most popular...
You Can Invest in SpaceX Before Its IPO — but Should You?
Investors can now gain exposure to SpaceX through private secondary markets, specialty ETFs and pooled funds, sidestepping the wait for a public listing. The rocket company is valued at roughly $1.25 trillion, making it one of the most coveted private assets....
AI Workflow Replaces WhaleWisdom for Fund Portfolio Tracking
With 13Fs for Q4 out, retweeting this AI workflow (which I quite like). I will be building a stack of a couple dozen funds I follow to get a quick look at their portfolios: new additions, size ups/downs and portfolio...
Cooling Volatility Triggers Vol‑Control Funds to Add Equity
Vol Control funds are starting to re-engage. When realized vol cools, vol-control strategies mechanically add equity exposure. Vol ↓ → Positioning ↑ → Fuel for price. Still too early, but if realized volatility continues to cool off, this turns into incremental buy pressure...
Climate-Focused Credit Specialist Returns to AP4
Ulf Erlandsson is returning to Sweden’s Fourth National Pension Fund (AP4) as Senior Fixed Income Portfolio Manager for liquid credit, after nearly a decade on the hedge‑fund side. He founded the Anthropocene Fixed Income Institute, a climate‑focused research nonprofit, and...
Pentwater Leads Merger Arbitrage with $10.6 B Book
Largest merger arbitrage books (by 13-F*) Pentwater: $10.6 billion HBK: $8.1 billion Millennium: $7.8 billion Balyasny: $5.3 billion Fidelity: $4.4 billion Citadel: $2.9 billion Qube: $2.7 billion AQR: $2.4 billion Glazer: $2.3 billion Magnetar: $2.1 billion h/t Cantor
Our Portfolios Stay Calm as Rivals Tumble
CHART OF THE DAY: Our Portfolios Are Experiencing Lower Volatility While The Competitors Are Crashing https://t.co/8ToxLIPXph via @hedgeye
Record Growth of Fund of Funds: Why Multi-Manager Platforms Are Staging a Comeback:
Funds of funds (FoFs) are witnessing a record surge in capital inflows for 2025‑2026, spanning hedge funds, private equity, private credit and hybrid alternatives. The revival is driven by heightened market volatility, lower correlations and the need for diversified, actively...
The Rise of SMAs and Semi-Liquid Funds Marks a Structural Shift in Alternative Investing:
Separately managed accounts (SMAs) and semi‑liquid funds are rapidly overtaking traditional blind‑pool structures as the preferred channels for private‑market allocations. SMAs provide institutional‑level transparency, tax efficiency and customizable risk profiles, while advances in reporting technology make them scalable beyond ultra‑wealthy...
SKEW Below 140 Signals Institutional Hedge Unwind
SKEW just closed below 140. Falling $SKEW = institutions unwinding tail-risk hedges (OTM puts get cheaper) and/or quietly reducing equity exposure. Past cycles: Sustained declines often marked distribution phases — rallies fade as protection demand evaporates and complacency builds. If it...
Hedge Fund Tips with Tom Hayes – Podcast – Episode 331
In Episode 331 of Hedge Fund Tips, host Tom Hayes examines how trading volume can trigger sharp market moves, referencing the recent "Volume Opens the Floodgates" research. The discussion highlights that spikes in volume often precede sentiment shifts, creating entry...
Balance Reversion and Momentum: Mix Market-Making with Market-Taking
"You have market-making strategies or market-taking strategies. You want to balance across them because market-making strategies tend to be reversion and market-taking strategies tend to be momentum." - Bobby Jain (EP.497) With thanks to @AlphaSenseInc, @MorningstarInc, and Ridgeline.
Where Is Money Flowing Today?
A Finviz‑sourced heatmap reveals today’s capital allocations across U.S. equities, highlighting strong inflows into technology and renewable‑energy stocks while energy and financials lag. The visual shows green‑colored leaders posting double‑digit gains, contrasted with red zones where sectors such as utilities...
Fund Managers Alarmed over Corporate Spending Even as Optimism at Five-Year High
Fund managers are at a five‑year high of bullishness, yet a record share warn that corporate America is overspending on capital expenditures amid uncertain returns. In Bank of America’s February survey of 162 managers, cash balances rose in February, signaling...
HeadStart Fund of Funds
HeadStart Fund of Funds, managed by HeadStart Advisers, earned The Hedge Fund Journal Performance Award 2025 for highest absolute return over five years. Since 2020 the fund has delivered mid‑teens net returns, with three calendar years exceeding 20%, and has...
Is Quantum Technology the Next Great Alternative Asset?
The article evaluates quantum technology as an emerging alternative asset, emphasizing public‑market exposure over private‑equity deals. It notes that pure‑play quantum stocks such as D‑Wave, Rigetti, IonQ and Quantum Computing Inc. exhibit high volatility and limited near‑term cash flows, while...
Investors Bet on Oil Amid Growing Supply Threats
Oil investors bullish on proliferating supply threats Investors are increasingly bullish about the outlook for oil prices as potential risks to production and tanker traffic multiply - including threats of U.S. military action against Iran and stricter sanctions enforcement. Hedge funds and...
2025 Profitability Snapshot: Sector Returns & Excess Gains
In my sixth data update, I look at business profitability in 2025, across sectors, industries and regions, scaled to revenues (profit margins) and to invested capital (accounting returns). I use the latter to compute and compare excess returns. https://t.co/L3PDmph4VA
Unpacking the Latest Finance News From China: Key Trends and Market Insights
China’s latest five‑year plan emphasizes a shift from property‑driven growth to technology, targeting near‑5 % GDP expansion in 2026 and projecting tech to account for 18.3 % of output by 2026. The renminbi has appreciated past the 7.0 per dollar mark, indicating reduced central‑bank...
Investors Shift From S&P 500 to Alternatives, Gains Accelerate
Rotation away from S&P500 (flat on the year) into other assets like foreign stocks, US value, etc up 10-15% seems to be accelerating...
Seeking Causes Behind Hedge Funds' Rising Leverage Beyond
Are there any other explanations for the multi-year vertical ascent in hedge fund gross leverage aside from a reduction in front end interest rates / funding costs? https://t.co/WkIt1xAlmd
Sissener’s Best Year in Over a Decade, Momentum Extends Into 2026
Sissener Canopus delivered a 22.8% gain in 2025, its strongest performance in over a decade and the second‑best year since inception, and added 3.6% in January 2026. The fund’s flexible long/short equity mandate and thematic focus on AI and “Power...
Bobby Jain Launches $6B Multi‑strat Amid Portfolio Shift
Hedge fund portfolios are being shaped by the shift from banks, multi-manager scale, and public/private convergence. Bobby Jain (CEO/CIO, Jain Global) on launching a $6B multi-strat, talent & risk management, and portfolio construction. https://t.co/BfZsVcl2vY With thanks to @AlphaSenseInc, @MorningstarInc, and Ridgeline.
Baillie Gifford Defends CoStar Amid Questionable 5‑year Returns
https://t.co/5Dz4e0JITs Baillie Gifford backs CoStar in activist battle Perhaps unnamed Baillie Gifford rep should look at the 5 year chart. Hard to see “repeatedly demonstrated” value creation over past 5 years. Happy to take your call so you can...
VER’s Hedge Fund Portfolio Up Double Digits Again
The State Pension Fund of Finland (VER) generated an 11.3% return on its €1 billion hedge‑fund allocation in 2025, up from 10.9% in 2024. The outperformance was driven primarily by Asia‑focused and event‑driven managers, while CTA strategies lagged but still posted...
Smart Money Exits IBIT, Likely Profiting From MSTR Shorts
13F nonsense Look at all these sophisticated investors dumping $IBIT in Q4. Are they just dumb noobs to crypto with paper hands or perhaps they were unwinding short $MSTR long IBIT trades. And taking massive profits. https://t.co/6VVrnNnB6Z
Software Short‑squeeze Looms as Consumer Staples Pull Back
Whose ready for the short-squeeze in software over the next week because the 26 year-old analysts at the multi-platform funds convinced their PM's to go max short? Then we'll get the Consumer Staples pullback at the same time, when all the...
Nordic Hedge Funds Start 2026 Strong Despite Dispersion
Nordic hedge funds continued strong momentum into 2026, with the Nordic Hedge Index gaining 1.0% in January after an 8.0% return in 2025. Performance was highly dispersed; long/short equity managers ranged from -14% to +15%, while systematic CTA, macro, and...
Tiger Cub Founder Built $6B, 15% Returns, Then Quit
This Tiger Cub hedge fund founder built a $6B hedge fund, delivered 15%+ returns for over 20 years, and then walked away.
The Full Spectrum of European Alternative Fixed Income
Chenavari Investment Managers hit a $6 billion assets‑under‑management milestone in September 2025, eighteen years after its 2008 launch. The firm offers a full‑spectrum alternative fixed‑income platform, ranging from daily‑liquidity UCITS funds to semi‑liquid hybrid vehicles, listed credit trusts, CLO issuance and private‑credit...
Saba Recommends Share Tender Offer if Its Edinburgh Worldwide Bid Is Successful
Saba Capital Management has urged shareholders of Edinburgh Worldwide Investment Trust (EWIT) to accept a 100% cash exit at 99% of net asset value if its board slate wins the upcoming AGM. The activist hedge fund, which has unsuccessfully challenged...
Low Net Exposure Offers Little Shelter for Colosseum
Colosseum Global Alpha entered 2026 with a modest 12% net exposure, a level that usually limits market sensitivity. In January the fund slumped 14.2%, driven primarily by short positions that were caught in extreme price swings. Shares of SanDisk and...
PO Nilsson Back at the Helm of PriorNilsson Yield
Per‑Olof Nilsson, co‑founder of PriorNilsson Fonder, has resumed his role as lead portfolio manager of the low‑risk hedge fund PriorNilsson Yield, a position he held from the fund’s launch in 2002 until August 2025. The transition does not alter the...
The Emerging Markets Revival and the Case for Systematic, Diversified Exposure
Emerging‑market equities delivered more than a 10% outperformance versus developed markets in 2025, sparking renewed investor interest. Swiss‑based RAM Active Investments has built a €1 billion systematic strategy that targets broad factor exposure while managing liquidity, governance and concentration risks. The...
Tetsuya Kudo Shuts His Hedge Fund
Tetsuya Kudo, a seasoned Japanese broker, announced the shutdown of his Singapore‑based hedge fund and its parent firm Yamawa Asset Management. The fund, launched in 2018, catered to high‑net‑worth Asian investors with discretionary equity strategies. Kudo’s decision follows a period...
Ex-Penglai Peak and Polymer PM Launches Kizuna Investment
Hikaru Teramoto, a former portfolio manager at Lighthouse Investment Partners' Penglai Peak, has founded Kizuna Investment in Singapore. The firm will employ a hybrid Japan‑centric long/short equity and ECM strategy, supplemented by non‑Japan research to capture global thematic trends such...
Rhenman & Partners Strengthens Board With Former PP Pension CEO
Rhenman & Partners has appointed Kjell Norling, former CEO of PP Pension, to its board of directors. Norling brings 12 years of experience leading an institutional investor and a strong background in fund distribution. The boutique manages the €646 million Rhenman...