Volatility has made a comeback, and that's typically when hedge funds outperform and offer downside protection.
Amid the elevated volatility, hedge funds increased their short activity, while focusing on quality stocks, according to Goldman Sachs' prime brokerage data.
Specifically, hedge funds have been shorting exchange-traded funds in large cap equity, sectors and credit categories for three sessions in a row this week, Goldman said.
Quality trade Meanwhile, hedge funds are pivoting to stocks with high-quality fundamentals.
The real estate sector, for example, saw a net short position of 2% among hedge funds, DeSanctis said.
Persons:
Goldman Sachs, Goldman, David Kostin, Steven DeSanctis, DeSanctis, — CNBC's Michael Bloom
Organizations:
Treasury, Federal Reserve, Costco, Cisco, Cadence Design Systems
Locations:
U.S