Citadel CEO Ken Griffin (not pictured) is interviewed by Milken Institute Chairman Michael Milken at the Milken Institute Global Conference 2025 held in Beverly Hills, California, USA on May 7, 2025.
Mike Blake | Reuters
Ken Griffin’s Citadel posted positive returns across its various hedge fund strategies in the first half of 2026, driven by double-digit gains in tactical trading and equity funds.
The hedge fund firm’s tactical trading fund, which combines discretionary equity investing and quantitative strategies, rose 14.3% through the end of June, after rising 3.1% in June alone, said a person familiar with Citadel’s returns, who requested anonymity because the information is private.
Citadel’s tactical trading funds also survived the quantitative shakeout in late June. Quantitative investing relies on mathematical models, statistical analysis, machine learning, and algorithms to identify investment opportunities, construct portfolios, and manage risk.
Earlier this week, Goldman Sachs’ prime brokerage division told clients that from June 23 through Monday, its systematic long-short strategy just suffered its worst five-day stretch since December 2023, hurt primarily by crowded trading on the short side and the unwinding of momentum positions.
Citadel’s tactical trading strategy avoided this sharp drop, the people said.
Citadel’s equity fund returned 11.2% in the first half after gaining 3.5% in June, while the company’s largest flagship multistrategy Wellington fund rose 5.7% through the end of June after gaining 1.8% in June, the people said.
The firm’s global bond fund rose 1.7% in June, little changed for the year.
Citadel’s gains came during a volatile first half in financial markets. of S&P500 Up 9.6% through June, the benchmark recovered to new highs after five consecutive weeks of declines in February and March.
Investors initially faced soaring oil prices during the Iran conflict, questions about whether massive spending on artificial intelligence would be sustained, and shifting expectations about Federal Reserve policy, but the rally has recently extended beyond just the biggest tech stocks.
Citadel had approximately $69 billion in assets under management as of June 1.
Citadel declined to comment.
