Insider Monkey·2025-11-30 17:05Core Insights - Hedge funds are experiencing their strongest annual results since Covid-19, with average gains of 16.6% in the first three quarters of 2025 and net inflows exceeding $40 billion [1][2]. Hedge Fund Performance - The hedge fund industry is on track for its best year since 2020, with average gains of 5.2% in Q3 2025 across core strategies, and 80% of funds reporting increased returns [2]. - Multistrategy funds achieved average gains of 19.3% in 2025, while equity funds gained 17.1% and global macro funds 15.8% [3]. - As of October 2025, hedge funds, including equity traders, reported gains over 13%, with stock pickers realizing 1.75% in October, which was lower than the S&P 500's 2.3% increase [4]. Investment Focus - Hedge funds are focusing on healthcare and tech stocks, perceiving a favorable long-term outlook despite market volatility [4]. - Systematic and quant funds underperformed in October, while macro funds showed improved performance compared to September [4]. Dividend Stocks - The article highlights the best dividend stocks favored by hedge funds, emphasizing the potential for outperforming the market by following top hedge fund picks [5][8]. - The methodology for selecting these stocks involved analyzing a database of 978 hedge funds, focusing on those with a minimum of 10 years of dividend history [7]. Company Highlights - Bank of America Corporation (NYSE:BAC): - Popular among hedge funds with 111 holders and 20 years of dividend payouts. The company has increased its yearly expenditure by 44% over the last decade, reaching $4 billion in 2025, primarily due to technology initiatives [10][11][12]. - Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY): - Also favored by hedge funds, with 114 holders and 53 years of dividend payouts. The company is set to present new data on its breast cancer pipeline at the upcoming San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium [13][14].