January performance was the strongest since May 2003....

January performance was the strongest since May 2003. Unusually strong equity market volatility and narrowing credit spreads created an exceptional trading environment for many hedge fund managers. The VIX, a measure of equity market volatility, jumped more than 21% to 14.56 after the January 20 stock market close, the biggest one-day percentage jump in nine months. Most hedge fund strategies require volatility to produce meaningful returns.