Early estimates from the hfn hedge fund aggregate average is -1.26% for August of this year. The decrease was the largest since May 2006 and was the first month since May 2007 that the average hedge fund underperformed equity markets.

Year to date through August the average hedge fund is +6.28% while the S&P 500 TR is +5.20%. The HFN database consists of over 7,600 current hedge fund, fund of funds, and CTA products. HFN is an equal weighted average of all single manager hedge funds and CTA/managed futures products in the HedgeFund.net database.

Unlike previous months when equity markets fell and hedge funds outperformed, the environment in August proved more treacherous for managers.