Emerging markets has been the top-performing strategy among hedge funds this year, and an awful August hasn’t changed that.

The strategy took the biggest tumble among Hedge Fund Research’s HFRI Indices, dropping 2.52% on the month. But it’s still far and away the best strategy year-to-date; at 15.02%, its return is more than twice the next-best strategy.

Overall, the HFRI Fund Weighted Composite Index fell 1.32% (up 6.17% YTD), with just one strategy subindex in positive ground: merger arbitrage, which was essentially flat with a 0.07% return (5.66% YTD). Other big losers include macro (down 1.99% in August, up 4.35% YTD) and equity hedge (down 1.63%, up 6.56% YTD).

Funds of funds fared no better than their constituent parts. The HFRI Fund of Funds Composite Index dropped 2.01% (up 6.02% YTD). Market defensive (down 2.51% in August, up 3.18% YTD) and strategic (down 2.25%, up 7.25% YTD) funds of funds were the hardest hit.