Nine out of 10 hedge funds reporting to Barclays Hedge Fund Index climbed last month, with 17 of the 18 indices well in positive ground. The index’s top performers in October were equity long bias, which soared 3.15%, followed by the emerging markets 2.65%, and distressed securities, healthcare/biotechnology and technology indices all growing more than 2%. “Any month we see that 90% of the funds reporting to Barclay are profitable, we know everything has gone right,” says Sol Waksman, president of the Fairfield, Iowa-based Barclay. The even-better news is that nearly half of the indices covered are already recording double-digit returns year to date, with another three close enough to break that barrier. Leading the pack YTD is emerging markets (13.49%), followed by distressed securities (11.18%) and healthcare/biotech (11.90%). Overall, the Barclay index is up 8.74% so far this year. The only two strategies in the dumps for the year as equity short bias (-4.97%) and Pacific Rim equities (-1.28%).