LibreMax Returns Top 20% In 2012

LibreMax Capital put up a below-average December—but it was enough to push the New York-based hedge fund above 20% for the year.

LibreMax, whose assets soared to $2.4 billion from less than $1 billion last year, returned 20.8% last year, including 0.94% last month. The 2012 return is in line with big gains posted by other mortgage-focused hedge funds; the average mortgage fund rose 20.3% last year, according to Bloomberg News.

LibreMax, led by former Deutsche Bank traders including Greg Lippmann, put about half of its long portfolio into non-agency residential mortgage-backed securities through much of last year, and began buying commercial mortgage-backed securities, collateralized loan obligations and consumer asset-backed securities later in 2012. It also cut its exposure to subprime mortgages late last year.