Lee Ainslie's Maverick Capital is up big, while managers like Tiger Global and Whale Rock slipped in July. Here's how top funds are performing in 2021.

<p><img src="https://static4.businessinsider.com/image/60afaa6c02ac410018f9322e-2400/2014-05-05T120000Z_969515354_GM1EA56086A01_RTRMADP_3_FUNDS-IRASOHN-LIBERTYGLOBAL.JPG" border="0" alt="Philippe Laffont coatue" data-mce-source="Eduardo Munoz/ Reuters" data-mce-caption="Philippe Laffont, founder and portfolio manager of Coatue Management, speaks at the Sohn Investment Conference in New York, May 5, 2014."></p><p></p><bi-shortcode id="summary-shortcode" data-type="summary-shortcode" class="mceNonEditable" contenteditable="false">Summary List Placement</bi-shortcode><p>The cheery sentiment surrounding hedge funds' first half of the yearwhich places like Hedge Fund Research have trumpeted as the best start in decadesdoes not apply to all managers.&nbsp;</p><p>There are&nbsp;managers who have been slammed this year by massive market events, such as Gabe Plotkin's Melvin Capital, which was caught up in a retail trading-induced short squeeze in January and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gabe-plotkin-melvin-capital-july-perfomance-still-down-reddit-2021-8">is still digging out of the hole</a>, or macro shop Alphadyne Asset Management, which has <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-03/hedge-fund-alphadyne-loses-1-5-billion-in-rates-short-squeeze">lost $1.5 billion</a> this year thanks to a bet on rising interest rates that went awry.</p><p>But other top funds have been quiet, protecting their massive books during rocky markets and geopolitical <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hedge-funds-china-regulation-jd-baba-tiger-global-d1-investing-2021-7">skirmishes</a>.</p><p>A top performer from 2020, billionaire Philippe Laffont's $48 billion Coatue, was up 1.7% in July and has made 7.6% for the year, sources tell Insider.&nbsp;</p><p>$65 billion Tiger Global, according to <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-03/tiger-global-almost-breaks-even-in-july-despite-china-stock-rout">Bloomberg</a>, lost 0.8% in July, avoiding what could have been serious losses given the fund's exposure to China. Billionaire Chase Coleman's manager is up 4.4% on the year through July, after a strong June.</p><p>The S&amp;P 500, by comparison, was up 2.3% last month and finished July up 17% for the year.</p><p>One <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/family-tree-shows-how-many-tiger-cub-hedge-funds-there-are-2019-12">Tiger Cub</a> who has stood out is Maverick, run by billionaire Lee Ainslie. While the $9 billion firm lost long-time executive Andrew Warford <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/maverick-capital-andrew-warford-leaving-chairman-stock-committee-family-office-2021-2">earlier this year</a>, it has had a banner year, adding another 2% in July. The firm is up 39.6% for the year, sources tell Insider.</p><p>At a different tech-focused manager, returns haven't come as easily. Alex Sacerdote's $13 billion Whale Rock lost 3.4% in July, bringing its year-to-date performance to -7.8%, a source tells Insider. The firm, which started investing in private opportunities last April, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/top-private-investors-hedge-funds-startups-d1-tiger-global-coatue-2021-7">has put $800 million</a> into start-ups in a little more than year's time.</p><p>Biotech specialist Perceptive Advisors, run by billionaire Joseph Edelman, has had a tough run this year, as the sector as a whole has struggled. Early estimates of last month's returns have the firm's $2.6 billion flagship fund down 26.3% for the year after falling 6.5% last month.</p><p>Younger managers such as Ben Jacobs' <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/former-viking-cio-ben-jacobs-is-starting-fund-called-anomaly-2019-10">Anomaly</a> and Jack Woodruff's Candlestick Capital have had mediocre years so far. Jacobs, the former chief investment officer at Viking Global, is down 2.7% for the year after making roughly 0.2% in July, sources tell Insider. The $1.7 billion manager began trading outside capital at the start of the fourth quarter last year and made more than 17% in the quarter.</p><p>Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ken-griffin-has-had-dozens-of-hedge-fund-founders-work-at-citadel-2020-3">former Citadel</a> portfolio manager Woodruff is up just under 2% for the year following gains of 1.2% in July, sources tell Insider.</p><p>Another recent addition to the extended Tiger family has been able to build upon its debut success last year. Untitled Investments, founded by former Tiger Global partner Neeraj Chandra, was up 2.5% last month, bringing its 2021 returns to 9.7%, a source familiar told Insider.</p><p>The fund, which manages more than $500 million, launched in April of 2020 and has made 76.6% since inception.&nbsp;</p><p>Firms mentioned either declined to comment or did not immediately respond to requests for comment.</p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/performance-hedge-funds-july-tiger-global-maverick-coatue-whale-rock-2021-8#comments">Join the conversation about this story &#187;</a></p> <p>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/where-run-hide-earthquake-occurs-2017-6">Where you should go to stay safe during an earthquake</a></p>
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