The third quarter had 174 hedge fund liquidations, according to a new report from Hedge Fund Research, 37 more than the same time a year prior. Launches in the third quarter only totaled 144, making last quarter the first in more than a year that closures outpaced launches. Hedge fund aggregate performance is down 2% through the end of November, thanks in part to a decline of 3.1% in October alone. The recent market volatility that has been top-of-mind for retail investors, politicians and Wall Street mainstays hit hedge funds hard, according to a new report from Hedge Fund Research.