One of the hottest hedge fund launches of the year has doubled its assets in about 6 months

trader surprised shocked

Reuters / Lucas Jackson

• Hedge fund Light Sky Macro launched earlier this year with the backing of Steve Cohen, Dan Loeb and a number of other hedge fund managers.

• The fund had a rough start but is now in positive territory.

• The fund was started by Ben Melkman, a former partner at Brevan Howard.

---

 

NEW YORK – Things are looking good for Ben Melkman's Light Sky Macro.

After a rough start earlier this year, the macro hedge fund is posting slight gains and raising more money – double what it had about six months ago.

The hedge fund gained 0.59% after fees since launching March 1 through September, a person familiar with the returns told Business Insider. It means the fund has recouped early losses — after dropping about 3.5% from March through the end of April.

Light Sky Macro has quickly raised assets and is currently managing $1.7 billion, the person added. That's about double what the firm managed at the end of April.

Light Sky had expected to launch on March 1 with about $400 million before scaling up. The firm is now what the industry calls "soft-closed," meaning that the fund is not actively seeking new investors but allowing investments from existing relationships.

Some of the biggest names in the hedge fund industry backed Light Sky Macro, including billionaire Steve Cohen, Third Point's Dan Loeb and Moore Capital's Louis Bacon, Business Insider earlier reported.

Melkman previously was a partner at Brevan Howard Asset Management, a Europe-based hedge fund titan that has been losing assets.

Macro funds are down about 0.4% for the year through September, per data tracker HFR.

NOW WATCH: SCOTT GALLOWAY: Amazon is using an unfair advantage to dominate its competitors

See Also:

• We keep hearing that billionaire hedge funder Steve Cohen has been crushing it recently — and just at the right time

• Bridgewater, the world's largest hedge fund, faces a race against time to avoid a loss in its biggest strategy

• Bill Ackman's Pershing Square has seen assets drop $1.6 billion in 5 months

SEE ALSO: Bank of America Merrill Lynch has signed on with a quant firm — and it shows where Wall Street is headed

DON'T MISS: We keep hearing that billionaire hedge funder Steve Cohen has been crushing it recently — and just at the right time