Key Takeaways
- • Tiger Global Management, led by Chase Coleman, generated 13.6% returns in its long-short fund and 3.4% in its Long Opportunities vehicle, earning dual nominations for Equity-Focused and Institutional Hedge Fund Manager of the Year amid a market backdrop where nearly two-thirds of hedge funds lost money in 2018.
- • Cadian Capital (Eric Bannasch) posted 20% returns and Jericho Capital Partners (Josh Resnick) gained 12.5%, positioning both managers as finalists in the equity-focused category alongside Darsana Capital Partners, Deerfield Management, and Falcon Edge Capital.
- • Macro strategies outperformed significantly: Element Capital Management (Jeffrey Talpins) returned 17.3% and Bridgewater Associates' Pure Alpha strategy delivered 14.6%—its best performance in seven years—securing both managers nominations for Macro Hedge Fund Manager of the Year.
- • Citadel's Wellington multistrategy fund added 9.1%, earning the firm nominations in both the Multistrategy and Institutional Hedge Fund Manager categories as Institutional Investor's 17th annual Hedge Fund Industry Awards recognize elite performers who prevailed during 2018's challenging market environment.
- • The 2019 awards ceremony will announce winners on June 27, celebrating hedge fund managers who generated positive returns during a year that marked the industry's worst aggregate performance since the 2008 financial crisis.
Summary
The 2019 Institutional Investor Hedge Fund Industry Awards recognizes an elite cohort of managers who delivered positive returns during 2018, when the hedge fund industry experienced its worst aggregate performance since the 2008 financial crisis and nearly two-thirds of all funds posted losses. The awards, now in their 17th year, will honor firms and managers who successfully navigated significant market volatility and headwinds.
In the equity-focused category, Tiger Global Management—founded by Tiger Management alumnus Chase Coleman—leads the finalists with 13.6% returns in its flagship long-short fund and 3.4% in Tiger Global Long Opportunities. The firm earned dual nominations for both Equity-Focused Hedge Fund Manager of the Year and Institutional Hedge Fund Manager of the Year. Competing finalists include Cadian Capital, which posted a standout 20% return under Eric Bannasch's management; Jericho Capital Partners, the tech-focused fund managed by Josh Resnick that gained 12.5%; alongside Darsana Capital Partners, Deerfield Management, and Falcon Edge Capital.
Macro strategies emerged as significant outperformers in 2018. Jeffrey Talpins' Element Capital Management gained 17.3%, while Ray Dalio's Bridgewater Associates delivered 14.6% in its Pure Alpha strategy—marking the firm's strongest performance in seven years. Both managers advanced as finalists in the Macro Hedge Fund Manager of the Year category. In multistrategy recognition, Citadel's Wellington fund added 9.1%, earning the firm nominations for both Multistrategy Hedge Fund Manager of the Year and Institutional Hedge Fund Manager of the Year, reflecting its resilience across multiple investment approaches during a challenging year.
Winners across all categories will be announced on June 27, 2019. The awards underscore the divergence between hedge fund performance in 2018, with a handful of exceptional managers achieving meaningful gains while the broader industry contracted.
In the equity-focused category, Tiger Global Management—founded by Tiger Management alumnus Chase Coleman—leads the finalists with 13.6% returns in its flagship long-short fund and 3.4% in Tiger Global Long Opportunities. The firm earned dual nominations for both Equity-Focused Hedge Fund Manager of the Year and Institutional Hedge Fund Manager of the Year. Competing finalists include Cadian Capital, which posted a standout 20% return under Eric Bannasch's management; Jericho Capital Partners, the tech-focused fund managed by Josh Resnick that gained 12.5%; alongside Darsana Capital Partners, Deerfield Management, and Falcon Edge Capital.
Macro strategies emerged as significant outperformers in 2018. Jeffrey Talpins' Element Capital Management gained 17.3%, while Ray Dalio's Bridgewater Associates delivered 14.6% in its Pure Alpha strategy—marking the firm's strongest performance in seven years. Both managers advanced as finalists in the Macro Hedge Fund Manager of the Year category. In multistrategy recognition, Citadel's Wellington fund added 9.1%, earning the firm nominations for both Multistrategy Hedge Fund Manager of the Year and Institutional Hedge Fund Manager of the Year, reflecting its resilience across multiple investment approaches during a challenging year.
Winners across all categories will be announced on June 27, 2019. The awards underscore the divergence between hedge fund performance in 2018, with a handful of exceptional managers achieving meaningful gains while the broader industry contracted.
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