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The February issue of Bloomberg Markets Magazine contains its annual ranking of the 100 best performing large ($1 billion-plus AUM) hedge funds of the previous year.
We have the top 30 for you here.
In 2013, only 16 hedge funds were able to outperform the S&P 500, and for the most part those 16 did the same thing — go long stocks all the way.
The number one spot belongs to Larry Robbins, the CEO of Glenview Capital. His fund finished the year on top with an astonishing 84 percent return. While some managers were nervous and held on to cash, Glenview bet that Obamacare would pump up healthcare stocks and ran with that.
For what it's worth, Robbins sees more "underhanded softballs" being thrown all over the stock market in 2014 too.
(Note: Bloomberg Markets' list features the top 100 large hedge funds. The performance numbers are calculated through October 31, 2013)
Blue Harbour Strategic Value Partners (Clifton Robbins)
Management Firm, Location: Blue Harbour Group, U.S.
Strategy: Activist
Assets (in billions): $1.3
YTD Total Return: +19.8%
2012 Return: +16.2%
Source: Bloomberg
Odey European (Crispin Odey)
Management Firm, Location: Odey Asset Management, U.K.
Strategy: Macro
Assets (in billions): $2.1
YTD Total Return: +20%
2012 Return: +30.7%
Source: Bloomberg
Serengeti Opportunities Strategy (Joseph La Nasa, Vivian Lau)
Management Firm, Location: Serengeti Asset Management, U.S.
Strategy: Event driven
Assets (in billions): $1.0
YTD Total Return: +20.3%
2012 Return: +13.4%
Source: Bloomberg
Marcato International (Richard 'Mick' McGuire)
Management Firm, Location: Marcato Capital Management, U.S.
Strategy: Activist
Assets (in billions): $2.0
YTD Total Return: +20.7%
2012 Return: +28.8%
Source: Bloomberg
Senator Global Opportunity (Alexander Klabin, Douglas Silverman)
Management Firm, Location: Senator Investment Group, U.S.
Strategy: Event driven
Assets (in billions): $6.0
YTD Total Return: +20.9%
2012 Return: +14.4%
Source: Bloomberg
Litespeed Partners (Jamie Zimmerman)
Management Firm, Location: Litespeed Management, U.S.
Strategy: Event driven
Assets (in billions): $2.2
YTD Total Return: +20.9%
2012 Return: +21.8%
Source: Bloomberg
Paulson Advantage Plus (John Paulson)
Management Firm, Location: Paulson & Co., U.S.
Strategy: Merger arbitrage
Assets (in billions): $4.3
YTD Total Return: +21.0%
2012 Return: -19.0%
Source: Bloomberg
Egerton Long-Short Master (John Armitage)
Management Firm, Location: Egerton Capital, U.K.
Strategy: Long/short
Assets (in billions): $3.8
YTD Total Return: +21.0%
2012 Return: 13.7%
Source: Bloomberg
AQR Style Premia Strategy (Team managed)
Management Firm, Location: AQR Capital Management, U.S.
Strategy: Multi strategy
Assets (in billions): $1.2
YTD Total Return: +21.5%
2012 Return: N/A
Source: Bloomberg
Omega Overseas Partners A (Leon Cooperman)
Management Firm, Location: Omega Advisors, U.S.
Strategy: Long/short
Assets (in billions): $2.3
YTD Total Return: +22.4%
2012 Return: +28.0%
Source: Bloomberg
Kayne Anderson MLP (J.C. Frey)
Management Firm, Location: Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors, U.S.
Strategy: Long/short
Assets (in billions): $1.6
YTD Total Return: +22.4%
2012 Return: +5.5%
Source: Bloomberg
JANA Nirvana Master (Barry Rosenstein and David DiDomenico)
Management Firm, Location: Jana Partners, U.S.
Strategy: Event driven
Assets (in billions): $2.5
YTD Total Return: +23.5%
2012 Return: +33.4%
Source: Bloomberg
Paulson Partners Enhanced (John Paulson)
Management Firm, Location: Paulson & Co., U.S.
Strategy: Merger arbitrage
Assets (in billions): $6.4
YTD Total Return: +25.0%
2012 Return: +18.2%
Source: Bloomberg
JAT Capital Offshore (John A. Thaler)
Management Firm, Location: JAT Capital Management, U.S.
Strategy: Long/short
Assets (in billions): $1.9
YTD Total Return: +25.3%
2012 Return: -19.6%
Source: Bloomberg
Joho A (Robert Karr)
Management Firm, Location: Joho Capital, U.S.
Strategy: Long/short
Assets (in billions): $4.3
YTD Total Return: +25.9%
2012 Return: +8.8%
Source: Bloomberg
Lansdowne Developed Markets (Peter Davies, Stuart Roden, Jonathon Regis)
Management Firm, Location: Lansdowne Partners, U.K.
Strategy: Long/short
Assets (in billions): $8.9
YTD Total Return: +26.6%
2012 Return: +18.0%
Source: Bloomberg
Alden Global Distressed Opportunities (Team managed)
Management Firm, Location: Alden Global Capital, Jersey
Strategy: Distressed
Assets (in billions): $1.1
YTD Total Return: +26.7%
2012 Return: +12.1%
Source: Bloomberg
VR Global Offshore (Richard Deitz)
Management Firm, Location: VR Advisory Services, U.K.
Strategy: Distressed
Assets (in billions): $2.0
YTD Total Return: +27.4%
2012 Return: +20.6%
Source: Bloomberg
Third Point Ultra (Daniel Loeb)
Management Firm, Location: Third Point, U.S.
Strategy: Event driven
Assets (in billions): $2.3
YTD Total Return: +28.8%
2012 Return: +33.5%
Source: Bloomberg
Two Sigma Compass Enhanced (Team managed)
Management Firm, Location: Two Sigma Investments, U.S.
Strategy: Managed futures
Assets (in billions): $4.0
YTD Total Return: +29.2%
2012 Return: +8.2%
Source: Bloomberg
Pelham Long/Short (Ross Turner)
Management Firm, Location: Pelham Capital Management, U.K.
Strategy: Long/short
Assets (in billions): $3.2
YTD Total Return: +30.3%
2012 Return: +18.4%
Source: Bloomberg
Palomino (David Tepper)
Management Firm, Location: Appaloosa Management, U.S.
Strategy: Opportunistic
Assets (in billions): $7.3
YTD Total Return: +31.5%
2012 Return: +29.3%
Source: Bloomberg
Trian Partners (Nelson Peltz, Peter May, Ed Garden)
Management Firm, Location: Trian Fund Management, U.S.
Strategy: Activist
Assets (in billions): $7.8
YTD Total Return: +34.9%
2012 Return: +0.9%
Source: Bloomberg
Glenview Capital Partners (Larry Robbins)
Management Firm, Location: Glenview Capital Management, U.S.
Strategy: Long/short
Assets (in billions): $3.2
YTD Total Return: +37.4%
2012 Return: +24.2%
Source: Bloomberg
Owl Creek Overseas (Jeffrey Altman, Daniel Krueger, Jeffrey Lee)
Management Firm, Location: Owl Creek Asset Management, U.S.
Strategy: Event driven/multi strategy
Assets (in billions): $3.2
YTD Total Return: +38.1%
2012 Return: +11.1%
Source: Bloomberg
The Children's Investment (Christopher Hohn)
Management Firm, Location: The Children's Investment Fund Mgmt., U.K.
Strategy: Activist
Assets (in billions): $7.3
YTD Total Return: +39.7%
2012 Return: +30%
Source: Bloomberg
Lansdowne Developed Markets SIF (Stuart Roden, Peter Davies, Jonathon Regis)
Management Firm, Location: Lansdowne Partners, U.K.
Strategy: Activist
Assets (in billions): $7.3
YTD Total Return: +39.7%
2012 Return: +30%
Source: Bloomberg
Paulson Recovery (John Paulson)
Management Firm, Location: Paulson & Co., U.S.
Strategy: Long equity
Assets (in billions): $2.4
YTD Total Return: +45%
2012 Return: +4.9%
Source: Bloomberg
Matrix Capital Management (David Goel)
Management Firm, Location: Matrix Capital Management, U.S.
Strategy: Long/short
Assets (in billions): $1.6
YTD Total Return: +56.0%
2012 Return: +20%
Source: Bloomberg
Glenview Capital Opportunity (Larry Robbins)
Management Firm, Location: Glenview Capital Management, U.S.
Strategy: Long/short
Assets (in billions): $1.8
YTD Total Return: +84.2%
2012 Return: +54.3%
Source: Bloomberg
