Citadel’s various hedge funds rise in February, beating the S&P 500 in a choppy month

NoodlesOrTokens · 2026-03-02T17:34:30+00:00

Ken Griffin's Citadel hedge funds achieved positive returns in February despite market volatility and AI disruptions. The flagship Wellington fund rose 1.9%, with all core strategies performing well. In contrast, the S&P 500 experienced a decline due to concerns over AI impacts and geopolitical tensions.

NoodlesOrTokens

2026-03-02 17:34:30

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Ken Griffin, CEO of Citadel LLC speaks on Squawk on the Street at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 21, 2026.

Oscar Molina | CNBC

Billionaire investor Ken Griffin’s various hedge funds at Citadel generated positive returns in February, navigating a volatile month for markets as macro uncertainty and disruption from artificial intelligence whipsawed asset prices.

The firm’s flagship multistrategy Wellington fund rose 1.9% in February, bringing its year-to-date gain to 2.9%, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be named because the information is private.

Performance was broad-based across the fund, with all five of Citadel’s core strategies — commodities, equities, fixed income, credit and quantitative — finishing the month in positive territory, the person said

The tactical trading fund advanced 1.5% in February, lifting its year-to-date return to 3.5%, the person said. The equities fund gained 1.0% for the month and is now up 2.2% in 2026. Meanwhile, the global fixed-income fund climbed 1.6% in February, bringing its year-to-date increase to 2.9%, according to the person.

The S&P 500 fell 0.9% in February amid fresh selling pressure in AI-linked and software shares. Fears that automation could erode established business models and trigger mounting layoffs have dampened investor sentiment, raising concerns about potential spillover effects on the broader economy. The market fell under massive pressure again after the U.S. and Israel’s attack on Iran caused oil prices to surge.

The firm declined to comment. Citadel oversaw $66 billion in assets under management as of Feb. 1.

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