Each business day HedgeCo.Net keeps you informed with the top hedge fund industry news, opinion and insight from around the globe. From the latest hedge fund launches, to the impact of regulation, competition, and investor activism - we track the topics and people that make a difference to you.
The Associated Press – Shares of Bank of America shot up Thursday as a new executive at the bank, as well as a prominent hedge-fund manager, decided to place big bets on the company by buying up blocks of shares.
Shares jumped $1.07, or 6.7 percent, to close at $17.
Sallie Krawcheck, the former Citigroup Inc. executive hired last week as part of a management shake up at the Charlotte, N.C.-based bank, bought more than $1 million worth of the bank’s shares on Wednesday, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – In a conference call with analysts yesterday, Joseph A. Ferrara, president, chief executive officer and board chairman of Tollgrade Communications, highlighted the company’s ”transformational activities” during the past quarter, including selling off its cable product line for $3.1 million and closing a deal on a managed services contract expected to bring in $20 million over a four-year period.
But the manufacturer of communications network testing equipment did not experience enough transformation during the past quarter to move into the black. Rather, it reported a second-quarter loss of $1.5 million, or 12 cents per share, on revenues of $10.6 million, compared with a loss of $255,000, or 1 cent per share on revenues of $12.1 million in the same quarter a year ago. The $10.6 million figure does not include $1.4 million from discontinued operations.
Bloomberg – Highland Capital Management LP, the Dallas-based investment firm that’s liquidating its main hedge fund, was sued by attorneys Schulte Roth and Zabel LLP for allegedly not paying $2.83 million in legal fees.
The New York-based law firm initiated a lawsuit in New York state court yesterday, listing what it said were unpaid invoices from June 2008 to this month.
“We believe Schulte Roth overbilled the firm and its funds for legal services,” Highland said in an e-mailed statement. “Highland has paid Schulte Roth nearly $1 million in good faith, and has made every effort to resolve this issue with them.”
Reuters – Hedge fund firm Polar Capital said on Wednesday that its assets under management had fallen to $1.54 billion at end-May compared with $3.1 billion at end-March 2008.
The firm said pretax profit for the year to March 31 fell 17 percent to 12.1 million pounds.
Sioux City Journal – Last year’s winning bid for lunch with legendary investor Warren Buffett topped $2.1 million, but given the economic turmoil, who knows if this year’s bidding will approach that level.
Yet Buffett has built a devoted following as demonstrated by the crowd of 35,000 people at his recent Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting, and he offers only one lunch per year.
The online bidding begins at $25,000 Sunday in a charity auction that benefits the Glide Foundation, which provides social services to the poor and homeless in San Francisco. The bids will likely escalate significantly before the auction closes Friday evening at 9 p.m. CDT.
Reuters – Traditional works of fine art are fetching good prices despite the recession as buyers seek security and quality, industry insiders said this week at the Art Basel show.
Film star Brad Pitt grabbed the headlines by splashing out $1 million on a painting by German artist Neo Rauch at the show, the world’s largest, which is celebrating its 40th year.
"The sudden change of the market in October affects not so much the prices but the overall volume of what is being offered," said Simon de Pury, chairman of auction house Phillips de Pury & Company.
"The catalogues are getting thinner but the prices are not necessarily getting lower. Indeed, some have held up very, very well," said de Pury, a leading art world figure known for his ability to whip up excitement in the sales room.
CNNMoney.com – A major shareholder of Amylin Pharmaceuticals Inc. ( AMLN) is backing a slate of dissident directors nominated by Carl Icahn and another hedge-fund manager, Eastbourne Capital Management.
P. Schoenfeld and Associates, which owned 2.1 million Amylin shares as of the end of the first quarter, told Dow Jones Newswires Thursday it supports all five of Icahn’s and Eastbourne’s nominees because it sees that as the only opportunity for the company to make significant strides.
"We would like to see the largest minority possible elected to the Amylin board," said P. Schoenfeld founder Peter Schoenfeld.
Your Industry News – Falkland Oil and Gas Ltd (FOGL.L: Quote) said it conditionally raised about 7.6 million pounds ($11.8 million) to help fund capital expenditure on long-lead drilling equipment, and general and administrative costs through 2010 into 2011.
The AIM-listed oil and gas explorer said it issued about 10.4 million new shares to certain directors and institutional investors at 73 pence apiece, representing a 19 percent discount to the shares’ closing price of 90 cents on Tuesday.
Falkland Oil said it placed 1 million of the placing shares with one of its founding shareholders, RAB Special Situations (Master) Fund Ltd, managed by hedge fund manager RAB Capital Plc (RAB.L: Quote).
A hedge fund fraud that involved a pair of funds claiming to hold more than $800 million in assets has been halted, according to the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
In a statement, the regulatory body said the two funds lost money and contain less than $1 million.
Bradley Ruderman is alleged to have raised more than $38 million from investors via the two hedge funds, Ruderman Capital Partners and Ruderman Capital Partners A.
He is accused of falsely claiming that the investment vehicles held positions in established securities such as Wal-Mart Stores, Apple and Microsoft, as well as stating prominent people were investors in his funds, when they were not.
Wall Street Journal – A lawyer for the court-appointed trustee liquidating Bernard Madoff’s firm confirmed they have located an additional $75 million in Madoff assets — a figure that would put the total above $1 billion.
A lawyer for the court-appointed trustee also said Monday that French authorities are moving to seize Mr. Madoff’s residence in France, to satisfy claims by victims in that country. The residence in Cap d’Antibes, France, was valued at about $1 million, according to a statement of Madoff’s assets as of Dec. 31, 2008.
Last week, U.S. prosecutors indicated they plan to seek the forfeiture of the residence in Mr. Madoff’s criminal case, in which he pleaded guilty earlier this month to perpetrating a massive Ponzi scheme. It wasn’t clear if French efforts would conflict with U.S. recovery efforts. A spokeswoman for U.S. prosecutors did not immediately comment.
Reuters UK – New Horizon Capital, a Japanese private equity firm, said it may start raising its second fund this year as it sees opportunities to make money from investing in struggling companies.
New Horizon has five potential transactions in its pipeline, Chief Executive Officer Yasushi Ando said at the Reuters Private Equity and Hedge Funds Summit in Tokyo.
New Horizon is seeking commitment of 20 billion yen (142.1 million pounds) from Japanese and overseas investors for its first fund, Ando said.
West Palm Beach (HedgeCo.net) – The Banks Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly voted yesterday to pass a bill that will raise the minimum financial qualifications for hedge fund investors to $2.5 million, and for institutional investors, $5 million.
If the bill, called "An Act Concerning Hedge Funds" is passed by the Connecticut General Assembly, it may become effective as early as October 1, 2009.
This marks a substantial increase above the minimum investor assets ($1 million) required under existing federal standards, making it harder for hedge fund managers in Connecticut to raise capital.
The Connecticut Bill was one of three bills introduced in mid-February to the legislature for consideration by the Banks Committee of the Connecticut General Assembly. Two other bills cover financial disclosure and licensing requirements, they up for vote in the near future.
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