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.
West Palm Beach (HedgeCo.net) - Satellite communications company Intelsat is launching a joint venture with a South African alternative investor group led by Convergence Partners.
The joint venture plans to finance, build and launch a new satellite, Intelsat New Dawn, featuring a payload optimized to deliver wireless back haul, broadband and television programming to the continent of Africa, it is expected to enter service in early 2011.
The group recently concluded agreements for financing of the project, which is expected to cost around $250 million. The project is to be funded approximately 15% with equity and 85% with debt, the debt being in the form of non-recourse project financing provided by African institutions. Pre-orders for satellite capacity currently total more than $350 million, with some contracts for up to 15 years of service on the satellite.
"Today marks an important milestone in the development of Africa’s infrastructure," Andile Ngcaba, Chairman of Convergence Partners said, "The New Dawn joint venture, with its optimized satellite and African-led financing, represents a solution for Africa by Africa. Over the course of this satellites life, it will provide world-class connectivity, allowing businesses to grow and rural communities to connect. Convergence Partners believes that investments in African projects of this nature can offer superior returns while also accelerating the socio-economic development of the continent."
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West Palm Beach (HedgeCo.net) – Hedge fund Trian Partners said that they will buy about 49.4 million shares of fast-food operator Wendy’s/Arby’s Group for $4.15 per share, or about $205 million.
The hedge fund and their affiliates now own about 21.6% of Wendy’s/Arby’s, or 52.1 million shares, up from its previous 11.1% stake. In November, Trian Fund Management L.P., led by billionaire investor Nelson Peltz, Peter W. May and Edward P. Garden, said it would buy shares of the fast-food restaurant business for about $4.15 per share.
The deal was subject to certain conditions, including that there would not be a decline of more than 10% in the Dow Jones Industrial average or the S&P 500 index after Nov. 5. Another condition was that Wendy’s/Arby’s shares would not lose 10% of their value.
Triarc Cos. Inc., which operates Arby’s and was run by billionaire investor Nelson Peltz, bought Wendy’s in a deal that closed in September.
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West Palm Beach (HedgeCo.net) – The DM Swiss Equity Asymmetric Fund has successfully completed its first year of operation realising a net gain for its investors +2.67%.
"We are extremely pleased to see the fund successfully navigate its way through one of the most challenging environments for investors in living memory." Marc-Etienne Rouge, partner at Delman SA said, "Launching a new fund is a difficult task at the best of times, but to do so, and so successfully in this type of environment is remarkable and a credit to our entire team."
The DM Swiss Equity Asymmetric Fund employs a conservative long/short fundamental stock picking strategy to the Swiss equity market and is co-managed by Urs Heinimann and Adrian Peter at Mirabaud & Cie, Zurich. Both Urs and Adrian are Swiss equity specialists having spent their careers focussed on the sector.
"The performance of the fund this year is a solid endorsement of the skills of the managers and a strong validation of the strategy. We firmly believe that the type of environment we are likely to encounter going forward will be one in which the strategy continues to outperform," added Marc-Etienne.
Delman SA, is a Geneva based company specialising in the creation and the delegation of managed funds, Delman launched the DM Swiss Equity Asymmetric Fund on 30th November 2007 in partnership with Mirabaud and Cie.
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New York (HedgeCo.Net) – Chicago-based Citadel Investment Group lost 13 percent in November, according to a report published by the Wall Street Journal. This brings the hedge fund firm’s total losses to 47 percent for the year.
The losses stem in part from the company’s two largest funds, the Kensington and Wellington, which together manage about $10 billion in assets. Investor redemption requests totaling around $1 billion and plummeting values of bonds were the catalysts behind the losses.
This is the first year since 1994 that Citadel will post a loss. It is only their second loss since CEO Kenneth Griffin launched the firm in 1990. All is not grim, however. Bloomberg News reports that three other Citadel funds, who together manage about $3 billion, have climbed about 40 percent this year.
Hedge funds as a whole have posted their worst record to date this year. According to data by Chicago-based Hedge Fund Research, hedge funds have lost an average of 22 percent this year.
Julie Scuderi Senior Editor for HedgeCo.Net Email: julie@hedgeco.net
New York (HedgeCo.Net) – Those who push for greater transparency of the hedge fund industry had a victory this week, when an EU official all but declared that funds in the European Union will be regulated.
Charlie McCreevy, the bloc’s internal market commissioner, launched a public discussion on whether or not hedge funds need stricter oversight. Though McCreevy has said in the past that no greater oversight is needed for hedge funds, the majority of those present disagreed.
“We don’t need more consultation. We need regulation. We know exactly what are the problems,” said ex-Prime Minister of Denmark Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, who shares the view that short-selling by hedge funds have had a hand in prompting turmoil in the market.
The results of the consultation, which is still underway, are expected to be known in early 2009. Though most hedge funds fall outside the EU, London is home to several large hedge funds and many portfolio managers.
Julie Scuderi Senior Editor for HedgeCo.Net Email: julie@hedgeco.net
New York (HedgeCo.Net) – At a time when most hedge funds are posting their worst year to date, John Paulson somehow manages to stay afloat. The founder of Paulson & Co. has informed investors that his funds are in fact up in November and furthermore, posting double-digit gains.
Paulson’s Advantage Plus Fund, which manages around $10 billion, climbed 3.19 percent in November, with a 33.5 percent gain for the year. His $5 billion Advantage Fund followed suit, posting gains of just over 2 percent in November and 21 percent for the year.
John Paulson bet infamously against the housing market, predicting the subprime fallout that ensued. His insight allowed him to rake in $3.5 billion virtually overnight, giving him the most lucrative Wall Street payday to date. It also landed him on the Forbres Richest List at number 78, with a net worth estimated at $4.5 billion.
Paulson & Co. currently manages approximately $35 billion through several hedge funds.
Julie Scuderi Senior Editor for HedgeCo.Net Email: julie@hedgeco.net
New York (HedgeCo.Net) – Hedge fund investor Thomas H. Lee may downsize or shut the door to two of his funds after posting losses of about 40 percent this year, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The funds, which together manage about $1.5 billion, suffered losses that were multiplied by Lee’s heavy use of leverage, according to the sources who estimated he sustained losses of as much as $3.2 billion.
The funds were actually set up as funds-of funds, meaning Lee distributed investor’s money to approximately 110 other funds. When investors moved to withdraw cash from the hedge fund, it sparked a wave of redemption requests from the original funds, creating a domino effect of losses.
Funds that Lee invested in include SAC Capital Advisors and D.E. Shaw Group, according to the report.
Lee’s private equity firm was launched in 1974 and has grown to be one of the largest in the country. Lee now heads up his hedge fund business, Thomas H. Lee Capital Management LLC and his new private equity firm, Lee Equity Partners. Lee currently manages about $2.7 billion in capital.
Julie Scuderi Senior Editor for HedgeCo.Net Email: julie@hedgeco.net
New York (HedgeCo.Net) – New York City-based Ramius Capital will close four of its hedge funds that manage about $550 million in capital, the Wall Street Journal reports citing people familiar with the matter.
The closing hedge funds are concentrated in convertible bonds, distressed credit and securities of merging companies.
Some of the money in these funds could be transferred to Ramius’ largest, $2.1 billion multi strategy fund. However, as the company deals with a wave of redemption requests, the multi strategy fund could be in danger of losing about $500 million of its value.
“Going forward, these strategies will continue to be important allocations in our multi-strategy fund and will continue to be managed by the same portfolio teams,” Ramius told the Wall Street Journal.
Ramius currently manages about $10 billion in capital. It recently offered its main hedge fund clients lower management fees to keep their loyalty with the firm.
Julie Scuderi Senior Editor for HedgeCo.Net Email: julie@hedgeco.net
New York (HedgeCo.Net) – Hedge Fund firm Tudor Investment Corp. has suspended investor redemptions from its $10 billion BVI Global unit until March 31st, giving the company time to split the fund into two.
BVI Global was hit by a wave of client redemption requests after investors moved to withdraw 14 percent of their capital, according to a recent letter to investors. The hedge fund posted a loss of about 5 percent this year, while hedge funds as a whole lost an average of 22 percent through November 24th according to Hedge Fund Research Inc.
Tudor Investment Corp., run by Paul Tudor Jones, wants to separate the corporate bonds and loans from emerging markets and start a new fund called Legacy, according to a recent letter to investors. The BVI flagship fund will stick with its staple of stocks, bonds, currencies and commodities.
The company is asking clients to approve the split within the next two months. Capital would be placed into both the BVI Global Fund and the Legacy Fund, depending on the division of assets.
Tudor Investment Corp. manages approximately $17 billion. Jones’ Tudor Futures Fund has posted gains of 21 percent this year while the firm’s Tensor Fund Ltd has seen returns of about 34 percent, according to people familiar with the matter.
Julie Scuderi Senior Editor for HedgeCo.Net Email: julie@hedgeco.net
New York (HedgeCo.Net) – Activist investor Carl Icahn purchased another 6.8 million shares of Yahoo stock last week at a price tag of about $67 million, further boosting his already vast stake in the company to almost 5.5 percent.
According to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, that stake is equal to 75.6 million shares in the Internet giant, or about $870 million.
The Corporate Raider has been outspoken about his beliefs that Yahoo should strike a deal with Microsoft Corp. in hopes of better competing with Google. Although no merger talks are currently in the works, some believe Icahn is still pushing for the deal.
Icahn was also vocal about his desire to dump Jerry Yang, saying that the former Yahoo CEO did everything he could to discourage a deal with Microsoft. Yahoo is currently seeking a replacement for Yang after he stepped down on November 17. Yang had previously rejected a $31-a-share offer by Microsoft earlier this year, prompted Icahn and other board members to question his leadership.
After news circulated on Friday that Icahn had increased his stake in the struggling company, Yahoo shares rallied almost 9%, up to $11.51 in the shortened trading session. Icahn may be trying to reverse the massive losses he incurred this year, after shares of Yahoo plummeted almost 60 percent.
Julie Scuderi Senior Editor for HedgeCo.Net Email: julie@hedgeco.net
New York (HedgeCo.Net) – At a time when many hedge funds are experiencing their worst year to date, private equity firm The Carlyle Group is launching a new fund with around $14 billion in capital.
According to a report by Reuters, the Washington D.C. – based company launched the U.S. buyout fund in the spring of 2007, and has a target goal of $15 billion.
The current economic conditions make it extremely difficult to raise capital, as fear and unfavorable market conditions prompt investors to rush for withdraws from many large hedge funds. According to the Chicago-based Hedge Fund Research, hedge funds are down about 15.5 percent on the year.
The Carlyle Group is one of the country’s largest private equity firms, with almost $90 billion under management. They recently decided to shut down its Asia leveraged finance group “in light of the current global turmoil and the serious dislocation of the credit capital markets.”
The new fund will be added to Carlyle’s already vast portfolio of investment vehicles. According to the company website, Carlyle manages 55 different funds specializing in buyout, growth capital, real estate and leveraged finance.
Julie Scuderi Senior Editor for HedgeCo.Net Email: julie@hedgeco.net
New York (HedgeCo.Net) – Private-equity firm CVC Asia Pacific, who owns 75 percent of PBL Media, is trying to prevent the company from defaulting on its $4.3 billion in debt, according to the Asian Wall Street Journal.
PBL Media, the owner of massive Australian magazine group ACP and Australia’s Channel Nine, could be placed under the control of its bankers if they default on the debt; something CVC is frantically trying to stop.
According to an article in The Australian, PBL’s debt is distributed among almost 40 creditors, including many hedge funds and global banks. CVC is trying to formulate a rescue package that would include raising $325 million from its banks, $250 million of which would go directly to paying PBL Media’s debt.
The Asian Wall Street Journal also reported that several of the large banks might also be on board to stop the default "which could result in their having to take a charge against earnings for the bad loans.” These banks include UBS, Credit Suisse, Goldman Sachs, Calyon, ABN AMRO and several other Australian banks.
However, some of the hedge funds who are invested in PBL aren’t too thrilled about CVC’s rescue plan, which entails creditors granting PBL a “covenant holiday” of 18 months. The Journal stated that “because hedge funds are required to mark their investments to market every day, the funds have little to gain from the CVC plan.”
Julie Scuderi Senior Editor for HedgeCo.Net Email: julie@hedgeco.net
