NEW YORK (Reuters) - David Einhorn's more than $8 billion hedge fund, Greenlight Capital, gained 0.3 percent in February, according to sources familiar with the matter.

The fund has gained 3.6 percent for the year.

Einhorn's February results come as the outspoken manager has been pushing technology company Apple Inc to return some of its cash stockpile to investors in a form of preferred stock. Greenlight owns roughly 1.3 million shares of Apple, one of the hedge fund's largest positions.

Apple shares have dropped roughly 3 percent since Einhorn went activist on stock in early February.

In the month of February, the Standard & Poor's 500 stock index <.SPX> rose 1.1 percent.

(Reporting by Katya Wachtel; Editing by Lisa Von Ahn)