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Hedge funds posted their first monthly loss since March as a reversal in artificial-intelligence stocks punished technology-focused managers and exposed sharp differences across strategies. The HFRI Fund Weighted Composite Index declined 1.1% in July, reducing its 2026 gain to 6.2%, according to Hedge Fund Research. The pullback followed a 6.4% second-quarter return, the industry’s strongest

HomeTrust Bancshares has agreed to acquire Blue Ridge Bankshares in an approximately $448.1 million all-stock transaction, expanding HomeTrust into several Virginia markets and creating a larger Southeast commercial bank. Blue Ridge shareholders will receive 0.086 HomeTrust shares for each share they own. Based on HomeTrust’s five-day volume-weighted average price of $49.82 as of Aug. 14,

Inland Real Estate Investment Corp. has completed an approximately $28 million equity raise for a qualified opportunity fund converting an underused downtown St. Paul, Minnesota, office building into apartments. Office Conversion Opportunity Zone LLC has been fully subscribed and is closed to new investors. The private investment vehicle is sponsored by an affiliate of Inland

Cox Capital Partners plans to expand its tender-offer program for nontraded business development companies (BDCs) into interval funds, creating another potential liquidity channel for wealth-management clients holding illiquid alternative investments. The firm has spent the past six years sourcing and executing secondary transactions in nontraded BDCs and other illiquid vehicles, working through financial advisors, independent