Growing excellence in the hedge fund sector

The winners of the 2024 Edify Retail Hedge Fund Awards have been announced, acknowledging the top-performing funds in the retail investor hedge fund sector.

These awards celebrate investment excellence while fostering greater engagement between hedge fund managers, financial advisers and retail investors.

By evaluating funds based on their risk profiles and performance metrics - beyond the traditional Association for Savings and Investment South Africa hedge fund categories - the awards provide investors with a clearer framework for assessing hedge fund opportunities.

This year’s winners demonstrated outstanding investment expertise, balancing risk and reward in an evolving financial landscape.

Recognising the nominees

The 2024 awards featured a competitive field of nominees across four categories, each showcasing exceptional performance and strategic fund management:

Best Fixed Income Retail Hedge Fund

• Abax Fixed Interest Prescient RI Hedge Fund
• Abax RCIS Vega Retail Hedge Fund
• Acumen AcuityOne FR Retail Hedge Fund
• Winner: Terebinth FI Macro FR Retail Hedge Fund

Best Equity Retail Hedge Fund: Defensive

• Abax Bao NCIS Market Neutral RIF
• Bateleur Market Neutral Prescient RI Hedge Fund
• Nitrogen Nitrogen RCIS Retail Hedge Fund
• Winner: Peregrine Capital Pure Hedge H4 Retail Hedge Fund

Best Equity Retail Hedge Fund: Growth

• 36ONE FR Retail Hedge Fund
• Abax Long/Short Equity Prescient RI Hedge Fund
• AG Capital Opportunity FR Retail Hedge Fund
• AG Capital Rainbow FR Retail Hedge Fund
• Winner: Anchor Stable FR Retail Hedge Fund

Best Multi-Strategy Retail Hedge Fund

• Marble Rock NCIS Keystone FICC Retail Investor Hedge Fund
• SouthernCross Multi Strategy Prescient RI Hedge Fund
• X-Chequer Duo Multi Strategy FR Retail Hedge Fund
• Winner: Peregrine Capital High Growth H4 Retail Hedge Fund

Setting a benchmark for retail hedge funds

The winners of this year’s Edify Awards stood out for their strong performance, risk-adjusted returns and ability to navigate market complexities.

Each fund was evaluated over a three-year period, ensuring a rigorous assessment of its consistency and resilience. The ultimate winner in each category was determined on the highest Sortino ratio. The Sortino ratio indicates risk-adjusted returns where a fund is penalised only for volatility to the downside.

These awards play a vital role in increasing investor confidence in the hedge fund sector, addressing misconceptions and broadening retail access to sophisticated investment strategies.

As the retail hedge fund space continues to evolve, this year’s winners set a high standard for excellence, inspiring both emerging and established funds to refine their strategies and deliver superior results.

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners of the 2024 Edify Retail Hedge Fund Awards. Their achievements reinforce the growing importance of hedge funds in retail investing and highlight the expertise required to thrive in this dynamic sector.

For more details on the awards and selection criteria, visit Edify.

 This article was sponsored by Edify.