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'The virus is popping the bubble': 'Black swan' funds scored a record 57% gain after profiting from the market meltdown

Theron Mohamed   

'The virus is popping the bubble': 'Black swan' funds scored a record 57% gain after profiting from the market meltdown
Stock Market1 min read

While many investors suffered heavy losses during the coronavirus sell-off, "black swan" funds have gained a record 57% this year, according to the CBOE Eurekahedge Tail Risk Hedge Fund Index.

The funds, which specialize in profiting from extreme market events, benefited from the spike in volatility and swings in equities, commodities, currencies, and other assets.

Universa Investments — advised by "The Black Swan" author Nassim Taleb and run by his protégé, Mark Spitznagel — scored a remarkable 4,144% return in the year to April 7.

"The virus is popping the bubble," Spitznagel told the Financial Times. "Markets were priced for perfection, but all of a sudden the world lost its veil of perfection."

Read more: Goldman Sachs outlines a 3-part investing strategy to profit from the economy's reopening — including 4 stocks to buy for the recovery

Universa's peers also won big. Capstone Investment Advisors posted a 350% gain in the first quarter, while 36 South Capital Advisor's flagship Kohinoor fund is up more than 130%, the newspaper reported.

The eight funds in the CBOE Eurekahedge index may be insulated against market meltdowns, but they have lost money on average for eight straight years. They are down an average of 24% over that period.

Read more: RBC: The biggest investors are piling into 11 high-growth stocks to stay ahead of a market hammered by coronavirus fears

Read the original article on Business Insider

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