Eric Uhlfelder

Dec 31, 2024 | institutionalinvestor.com | Eric Uhlfelder

The volatility trading fund, Dynamic Alpha, managed by Seattle-based Lattice Capital, had been consistently clocking returns of 16 percent annually since its launch in May 2016. The fund was outperforming most of its larger competitors by focusing exclusively on the S&P 500. The argument for trading only a single asset - as opposed to a basket of indices - was convincing: To capture the regular market inefficiencies in the highly liquid S&P 500 Index options market.

Dec 31, 2024 | institutionalinvestor.com | Eric Uhlfelder

Over the past two years, there's been the market and then there's been everything else. Republican election sweep ensures that the show will likely continue well into 2025. The market is on pace this year to nearly double its five-year annualized returns of 15.7 percent. A benchmark of the 50 most consistently performing hedge funds (that's recalibrated annually) is on track through September to match its historical annualized gains of 12.5 percent.

Oct 18, 2024 | institutionalinvestor.com | James Comtois |Eric Uhlfelder |Michael Thrasher

Savvy manager selection and strategic shifts in asset allocation led Harvard’s $53.2 billion endowment to generate a 9.6 percent return in fiscal year 2024. In his annual letter to investors and the Harvard community, Harvard Management Company’s CEO N.P. “Narv” Narvekar noted that strong manager selection was key in driving returns, particularly in the public equity and hedge fund portfolios, which outperformed their benchmarks.

Oct 18, 2024 | institutionalinvestor.com | Eric Uhlfelder |James Comtois |Michael Thrasher

Six of the top 50 most consistently performing global hedge funds invest in volatile emerging markets. It’s a surprising finding from Global Investment Report’s 21st annual survey over the last five years through 2023. The six funds posted average returns of more than 12.5 percent during that period, according to the report. Four of the six were credit funds. Emerging markets were especially vulnerable when the Fed pushed up interest rates in 2022.

Oct 17, 2024 | institutionalinvestor.com | Michael Thrasher |James Comtois |Eric Uhlfelder

The U.S. national debt is a growing concern of pension systems, endowments, and other institutional investors in North America. A new market regime began two years ago, as inflation took off and central banks raised their target interest rates. More recently, inflation has slowed and the Federal Reserve began what is expected to be a series of rate cuts. But institutional investors aren’t treating this phase like one that has come and gone.