Markets were on standby mode ahead of the Fed's meeting last week. Hedge funds were flat and there was little dispersion in returns across the managers (see chart). Event-Driven outperformed as equity volatility edged lower. Meanwhile, Fixed Income strategies underperformed as sovereign bond yields moved higher.

The Global Head of Primary Private Equity at Deutsche Asset & Wealth Management discusses opportunities and risks in co-investments...

The Lyxor Hedge Fund Index was down -2.7% in August. 1 out of 12 Lyxor Indices ended the month in positive territory. The Lyxor Convertible Arbitrage Index (+3.3%), the Lyxor L/S Equity Variable Bias Index (-0.7%), and the Lyxor L/S Equity Market Neutral Index (-1.1%) were the best performers.

At the turn of the month, hedge funds rebounded as market conditions improved. The Lyxor Hedge Fund Index was up 0.4% last week, following a 3.3% drawdown in August. Year to date, hedge funds have demonstrated their ability to protect portfolios, returning - 0.3% whilst the MSCI World and JPM Global Aggregate Bond Index were down 7% and 2.3% respectively.

The deflation and growth scares morphed into a vicious cycle last week. Multiple trading anomalies were observed, especially on Monday, suggesting that systematic and algorithmic trading amplified the sell-off.