Hedge funds stepped up purchases of equities across all major regions last week, according to a weekly recap from Goldman Sachs’ Prime Desk. Activity was weighted toward long positions, lifting gross trading volumes as buy orders outpaced short sales by a ratio of 1.9 to 1.
Both single-stock trades and macro product activity registered net buying over the period, signaling a broadly positive tilt in hedge fund positioning. Sector flows were dominated by purchases in information technology, which led net inflows among global industry groups. By contrast, energy and healthcare were the only two sectors that recorded net selling during the same window.
Asia emerged as the most prominent destination for hedge fund buying. Goldman Sachs noted that allocations to Asian equities - spanning both developed and emerging markets in the region - produced the largest percentage net buying observed in a one-month span. Those flows were driven almost entirely by long purchases rather than short-covering.
Beyond the gross buying figures, the Prime Desk highlighted that both gross and net allocations to Asian stocks, measured as a share of the overall Prime Book, reached the highest levels on record. The firm’s summary attributed the surge to concentrated long interest in the region rather than balanced long-short repositioning.
Overall, nine out of 11 global sectors attracted net purchases, underscoring the breadth of demand across industries. The information technology sector led these gains, while energy and healthcare stood apart as areas of net liquidation. Both single-name and macro product segments contributed to the net buying trend recorded by hedge funds.
The Goldman team framed these observations in its weekly recap of Prime Desk activity. The data point to a hedge fund community that, over the reported week, favored directional long exposure across markets and sectors, with particular emphasis on Asian equities and technology names.
Key context and takeaways
- Long purchases outpaced shorts by 1.9 to 1, lifting gross trading activity.
- Information technology led sector inflows; energy and healthcare were net sold.
- Asia saw the largest percentage net buying in one month, with record gross and net allocation shares in Goldman’s Prime Book.
Data source: Goldman Sachs’ Prime Desk weekly recap.