Goldman Says Hedge Funds Add Short Bets on US Stocks Amid Rout

Hedge funds boosted short positions in equity exchange-traded funds by 8.3% in the week through March 6, according to data compiled by Goldman Sachs Group Inc.’s prime brokerage unit. Hedge funds increased holdings in individual stocks for the first time in five weeks. “Positioning and flow data reinforce the idea that investors are hedging more, but not meaningfully backing down,” Goldman’s managing director Lee Coppersmith wrote in a note to clients Saturday.