OMAHA, Neb. >> Warren Buffett continues to hold the lead in his bet that most investors are better off in a stock index fund than in a sophisticated hedge fund that charges hefty fees.

After eight years of the 10-year bet, Buffett’s chosen index fund holds a commanding lead over a collection of hedge funds even though the hedge funds performed slightly better in 2015.

The latest standings in Buffett’s bet with the money managers who own Protege Partners were reported last week by Fortune magazine.

The low-cost Vanguard S&P 500 Admiral index fund Buffett chose is up 65.7 percent since the bet began. Protege picked five funds that bundle hedge funds that are collectively up 21.9 percent, on average.

A charity of the winner’s choosing will receive at least $1 million.

Import volume at California ports surges

January imports through the port of Los Angeles climbed the most in six years, signaling that disruptions caused by contract disputes have finally eased.

Los Angeles import volume surged 42 percent to the equivalent of 367,208 containers, according to the port. Total traffic rose 33 percent, making it the busiest January in the port’s 109-year history. Neighboring Long Beach reported a jump of 25 percent to 536,188 units, the seventh-straight monthly increase.

The ports, the two largest cargo handlers in the U.S., were mired in contract negotiations with dockworkers and shortages of equipment such as truck trailers that led to a backup during the 2014 holiday season that spilled over into 2015. Some cargo was diverted to other ports in January 2015 as a result of the congestion.