How former Cantor Fitzgerald CEO Shawn Matthews's hedge fund is outperforming the average manager in 2021

<p><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5df3f8d6fd9db2661d7de726-2400/shawn matthews.jpg" border="0" alt="Shawn Matthews" data-mce-source="Daniel Acker/Getty" data-mce-caption="Former Cantor Fitzgerald boss Shawn Matthews started his own hedge fund this year"></p><p></p><bi-shortcode id="summary-shortcode" data-type="summary-shortcode" class="mceNonEditable" contenteditable="false">Summary List Placement</bi-shortcode><p>For the average hedge fund, it was the best first half in more than two decades, and Shawn Matthews's Hondius Capital Management was better than average.</p><p>The Stamford-based macro manager is up more than 17% through the end of June, sources tell Insider, and runs more than $200 million. The average fund is up roughly 10% for the year, according to Hedge Fund Research, which said that in a recent release that it was the best first half for hedge funds since 1999. The S&amp;P 500 returned just under 10% through the first six months of 2021.</p><p>The manager's returns were powered by trades made around commodities and rates, a source says. Hondius is named after 17th century cartographer Jodocus Hondius, a nod to the firm's goal to "accurately map out the world," according to the manager's website.</p><p>The firm declined to comment.&nbsp;</p><p>Matthews founded the firm in 2o19 after he ran Cantor Fitzgerald as CEO from 2009 to 2018. The firm also launched a $250 million SPAC this year with the goal of purchasing a private fintech company.&nbsp;</p><p>Macro managers like Hondius received serious attention from allocators last year after the globally-focused funds <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/macro-hedge-funds-performance-big-winner-of-2020-so-far-2020-5">performed well</a> during the market chaos in the spring of 2020. Big names <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-10-01/howard-s-hedge-fund-that-soared-100-is-raising-500-million">like Brevan Howard began</a> fundraising again amid the interest, and new funds to come in the space include former Bank of America executive Julien Bahurel's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/former-bofa-exec-julien-bahurel-launch-hedge-fund-como-capital-2021-6">Como Capital</a>.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/former-cantor-fitzgerald-ceo-shawn-matthews-hondius-performance-macro-2021-7#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/racist-origins-marijuana-prohibition-legalization-2018-2">How racism contributed to marijuana prohibition in the US</a></p>
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