Man Group tech arm AHL keeps hedgie motoring as assets rise

Man Group’s tech-driven hedge fund AHL division helped cushion $700 million (£535 million) of outflows as retail investors shunned Japan.

AHL, which also employs scores of people with PhDs, was the stand-out performer at London's only listed hedge fund, attracting inflows from investors and boosting fund performance by $500 million.

Around two thirds of AHL funds are now in the territory where they start to earn performance fees, paid when fund returns jump over a certain hurdle, which will benefit the company.

AHL’s good run contributed to a rise in assets under management to $112.3 billion at the end of March.

One of Man’s biggest funds Japan CoreAlpha was weaker, coming under selling pressure from investors despite good performance.

Sentiment around Japan could be weaker because of the US and China trade war.

Separately, boutique fund manager Polar Capital said £90 million walked out of the door between January and March but April had seen inflows.

However, strong stock markets took funds to £13.8 billion from £12.7 billion in December.