The first quarter of 2016 has seen the conjuncture of a significant rise in the Epsilon Correlation Index with a drop of the Epsilon Trend Index, confirming a moderately challenging environment for trend following strategies over the last 12 months. Those CTAs with the right approach resisted.

Hedge funds' returns weakened in sympathy with last week's retreat in risky assets. Losses were mild in general, with few notable underperformers. By contrast, CTAs outperformed, recouping their earlier losses as yields and oil weakened. Funds keeping a low beta also performed well, the neutral and variable equity funds especially.

There has been much discussion over the recent weeks on the outflows suffered by the hedge fund industry. Several data providers estimated the decline in global hedge fund capital in the first quarter of 2016 at about USD 15bn.

These fees are far from being insignificant for investor returns. According to Duncan Wilkinson, CEO of Alpha Simplex, more and more hedge fund managers, especially in the United States, have decided to offer products without any performance fees; a trend that should gradually take place in Europe...

JPY and Japanese equities were the outcast of the rally, in diffidence of Abenomics' and BoJ's chances of success. They bear a risk of a reversal ahead of the coming BoJ meetings (April 28 & June 16) and the July Upper House election.