Citigroup is liquidating its Corporate Special Opportunities hedge fund after it lost 53 per cent of its value last month, marking the ninth time in recent months that the bank has had to close or rescue a fund in its alternative investment unit.

The collapse represents the latest setback for Citi’s chief executive, Vikram Pandit, a former head of the alternative investment unit, who revealed plans on Monday to cut the bank’s headcount by 52,000. Citi shares fell 6 per cent on Tuesday to $8.36, giving it a market value of $45.5bn.