Standard Chartered is directing wealth management clients toward hedge fund strategies designed to provide lowly correlated absolute returns and diversify portfolios beyond stocks and bonds. The offering includes equity market neutral strategies and multi-strategy fund-of-hedge-funds vehicles. The bank’s own hedge fund assets under management rose fivefold in the 16 months to July 2026, while first-half wealth income increased 38% as clients sought investment products during volatile markets. In February, Standard Chartered launched the STAR fund-of-hedge-funds sub-fund with Seviora Capital for high-net-worth clients in Singapore, Hong Kong and Jersey. The push comes as global hedge fund assets reached a record $5.6 trillion by mid-2026 and the industry returned an average 7% in the first half, versus a 10-year average of 4.1%.