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CHICAGO, (April 7, 2016) – Emerging Markets hedge funds posted strong gains in March, leading industry-wide gains as equity and commodity markets reversed early quarter declines to conclude the first quarter, according to data released today by HFR®, the established global leader in the indexation, analysis and research of the global hedge fund industry. The HFRI Emerging Markets Index advanced +6.9 percent for the month, offsetting steep losses from January and bringing YTD performance to +0.8 percent. March represents the strongest month of performance for Emerging Markets (EM) since the Index gained +9.6 percent in May 2009.  Hedge funds posted strong gains across Equity, Event Driven and Relative Value strategies, with the HFRI Fund Weighted Composite Index® advancing +1.8 percent in March, the strongest gain for the FWC since February 2015.