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.
HedgeCo.net (West Palm Beach) – Viathon Capital, LP has officially launched the Whitewater Master Fund, LP, a credit opportunity fund focused on non-correlated absolute returns.
Employing a fundamental, credit-intensive research process in order to identify long and short investment opportunities in the United States and Europe, the hedge fund’s objective is to seek long term capital appreciation by investing in high yield and investment grade corporate bonds and bank debt.
As part of this launch, Viathon Capital has affiliates of Citigroup Alternative Investments, LLC (CAI) as its seed investor in this new fund. The fund launched in May of 2009 with $50 million in capital and had a net return of +0.92 % for the month of May and estimates +2.10% for June bringing it’s inception to date return to approximately +3.02%.
Viathon Capital’s team includes four investment professionals and two trade support/back office personnel with backgrounds from Marathon Asset Management, Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, Neuberger Berman, SAC/Sigma, Providence Investment Management and Lehman Brothers.
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West Palm Beach – (HedgeCo.net) – Hedge fund assets will bottom out at roughly $1 trillion in 2009, after which capital appreciation and $800 billion in net inflows over the next four years will push global levels to $2.6 trillion by 2013, according to a new study of institutional investors, investment consultants and hedge funds released today by The Bank of New York Mellon BK and Casey, Quirk & Associates.
The study, entitled "The Hedge Fund of Tomorrow: Building an Enduring Firm," found that institutions remain firmly committed to hedge fund investing. Institutional investors comprised less than 20% of hedge fund redemptions in 2008-2009, and North American pension plans will represent the single largest source of new capital between 2010 and 2013, followed by British and Northern European institutions. Global high net worth investors could account for as much as 60% of new net flows between 2010 and 2013, although their return to hedge fund strategies will rely on capital market conditions and hedge fund performance.
Funds of hedge funds will solidify their role as the primary hedge fund distribution channel, capturing almost 60% of net inflows between 2010 and 2013 by continuing to offer services most investors will find difficult to replicate on their own, such as manager-sourcing and ongoing due diligence.
According to the report, the hedge fund industry is facing a "transformational crisis" and must address key shortcomings in its business and operating models. As a result, hedge funds will rely more on third parties for a growing range of administrative support. Fund administrators will play a greater role in hedge funds’ operations, which will require stronger integration of hedge fund servicing activity with traditional custody and cash platforms.
"The events of 2008 have changed the old dynamic. Investor and regulatory demands for new levels of transparency mean the legacy operating model no longer works," said Brian Ruane, executive vice president of Alternative Investment Services at The Bank of New York Mellon. "Hedge funds increasingly will turn to independent third parties for middle- and back-office functions such as portfolio accounting and reconciliation, custody of non-collateral assets, pricing and valuation, cash management, and counter-party risk-mitigation. Allowing third parties to play a bigger role in their business will be a sign the hedge fund industry is maturing."
"Enduring hedge fund management firms will more closely align their business models with investor needs for transparency and liquidity. This means new fee models and longer-term incentive structures," said Kevin Quirk, a partner with Casey Quirk. "By striking better-designed balances, they will come to define the central value proposition of active asset management."
While the single-strategy boutique remains a viable model, better-designed and more durable investment management businesses will capture a majority of new hedge fund assets. Four models likely to thrive in the coming years include:
Single-Strategy Boutique: ‘Classic’ hedge fund, dominated by a typical direct investment capability using hedge fund techniques
Multi-Capability Platform: Common brand, distribution and business infrastructure support multiple distinct alternative investment capabilities
Merchant Bank Alternative Manager: Diversified financial intermediation business with core capabilities in investment management
Converged Traditional-Alternative Manager: Investment firm that has successfully integrated alternative and traditional long-only capabilities
Results from this year’s study, the third in an ongoing series jointly created by the Bank of New York Mellon and Casey Quirk, relied on interviews with more than 150 institutional investors, investment consultants, hedge funds, funds of hedge funds, and industry experts around the world.
West Palm Beach (HedgeCo.net) – The Saudi Capital Market Authority has approved Rasmala Investments request to launch two Saudi Equity funds. One of the funds ‘Rasmala Saudi Equity Fund’ will be managed according to the Shari’a guidelines approved by the fund’s Shari’a Committee Jadwa and the other will be a conventional fund.
"The funds will invest in companies and industries that are poised to benefit from continuing opportunities in the Saudi economy. We believe the steep correction the market has witnessed since late last year has created many valuable opportunities, particularly for investors who view the prospects and strength of the Saudi economy favorably," Muhammad Shabbir, Head of Asset Management and CIO, said.
"Both funds will be suitable for investors who seek capital appreciation over the medium to long-term and will focus on adding value through a robust stock selection process relying primarily on the fundamental analysis skills of Rasmala’s asset management team." Hamad Al Huthaili, Managing Director of Rasmala said, "Rasmala pioneered the fund-of-funds model in the MENA markets and the Company strives to provide high quality investment products to major segments of Saudi investors."
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Reuters – Hedge funds should be wary of being pressured into cutting fees because of poor performance numbers during the financial crisis, a director at fund research company Lipper FMI said on Thursday.
Speaking at a briefing on trends for the fund management industry, director of fiduciary operations Ed Moisson said the industry was seeing much discussion around a potential overhaul of the standard ’2 and 20′ structure.
Hedge funds have traditionally charged a 2 percent management fee and a 20 percent performance fee on investments in their funds.
West Palm Beach (HedgeCo.net) – Brotman Capital Partners LP, based in Boca Raton, Florida, has turned in the best performance Year to Date of a Market/Trend Timing Hedge Fund according to Barclays Hedge Fund Database.
Through October, 2008 the Fund is up over 14% net of fees. The fund has a $100,000 minimum investment and charges a 2% management fee and a 20% incentive fee.
According to Dr. Randy Brotman, Chairman and CEO, the fund has remained in cash since the middle of August. He states that “in our Trend Timing Fund, cash is an option, therefore a position.”
The Proprietary Trend Timing Model that Brotman Capital Management LLC employs dictates when the Fund should be long, short or in cash. “Be are comfortable to sit on the sidelines and wait for the trend-timing model to tell us when we will reenter the market, Brottman concluded.
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West Palm Beach (HedgeCo.net) – Iraq and the Babylon Fund sailed fairly unscathed through the panicky financial markets in September, according to CEO Robert Torkelund.
“Our strategy to focus on sticky money instead of any cheap hot money flow, has paid off so far,” says Torkelund, “Iraqi investments are not for the faint-hearted, of course. A financial crisis more or less, now and then, is business-as-usual for many of our experienced pre-frontier institutional investors. In fact, Babylon Fund’s AUM is still on the rise – early this month reaching ATH – and no redemptions have been requested so far."
There was less to celebrate in absolute terms though, as the monthly return came in at a negative 5.9% m/m. (another -3.5% for mid-month Oct). The fund’s losses in September were primarily a result of the bear sentiment. For example, Iraqi bonds lost heavily, with its USD-yields spiralling back into double-digit territory, as did all oil prospecting companies.
Inside Iraq, markets stayed mainly flat in September: Top 15 companies by Mcap, making up a full 70% of total Mcap, lost a few percentages on average. The diversification process from other Mid-Eastern investors, which was anticipated during the Dubai boom times already, seems instead to have started now instead.
The Babylon fund is a high risk $23.6 million investment fund with a $100.000 minimum investment. Managed by Godvig Capital and Björn Englund the fund has a 2% management fee.
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Norwalk Advocate – Some hedge funds are reducing their management and incentive fees to keep investors for longer periods during turbulent times on Wall Street.
Typically, hedge fund managers require investors to lock their money into a hedge fund for a year while charging a 2 percent management fee and keeping 20 percent of hedge-fund profits as an incentive fee – if it reaches a pre-determined point.
Camels Capital LLC, a Greenwich-based hedge fund, and Ore Hill, a New York-based fund, among others, have restructured these terms to keep investors.
"Ourselves, Ore Hill and a few other funds have taken a step to do that in this period of liquidity to lock in investors," said Richard Brendan, chief executive officer for Camels Capital. "We’ve been able to lock in our investors for a period of time to participate in opportunities with them."
Brennan would not comment on the specifics of the agreement between the hedge fund and his investors.
Scott Baker, a principal with Greenwich-based hedge fund investment firm Cookpine Capital, said many hedge funds are coming up with innovative ways to secure investor capital for longer periods.
West Palm Beach (HedgeCo.net) – Brotman Capital Management has chosen this, the worst year for hedge funds in over a decade, to launch its flagship Market Timing Fund.
Since inception through August 2008 the fund is up 14% net of fees. The fund has a $100,000 minimum investment, 2% Management fee and a 20% Incentive allocation.
Domiciled in Boca Raton, Florida, Brotman Capital Partners began trading in January 2008. The proprietary Trend Timing Model that the hedge fund employs dictates when the partnership should be long, short, or retained in cash.
Although trend timing is certainly not a mainstream Wall Street philosophy, the General Partner believes that the Trend Timing Model is valid and will deliver superior returns in the long run when compared to a “just buy and hold the S&P 500” philosophy.
"Even though most market gurus believe nobody can “Time the Market” correctly and consistently," Dr. Randy Brotman, Chairman and CEO, stated, "We are very pleased with our performance and we never use margin to enhance our results."
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Wall Street Journal – In another sign of the changing power dynamics between hedge funds and their investors, funds are offering to cut fees if investors agree to stay put.
Camulos Capital LP in a letter last week asked its investors to promise to keep nearly $2 billion in place with the firm for another year as part of a restructuring. Camulos, the letter said, will take a 1.25% management fee, instead of the standard 2% fee, on most assets. If the fund makes money starting Oct. 1 through 2010, the firm will keep 10% of most profits, not the 20% that is typical of hedge funds and that Camulos investors previously agreed to pay, the letter said.
Meanwhile, Ore Hill Partners LLC, a New York money manager with about $2.8 billion in hedge-fund assets, also told clients it is ready to deal. It offered a sliding scale of fees depending on how long investors would commit money to its Ore Hill International Fund Ltd.
With returns lower this year at many hedge funds, there has been much talk of investors demanding better terms. But until now, there have been few reports of hedge funds actually changing their model.
Lowering fees can make it hard for funds to keep top analysts and traders, who often are paid out of profits, and it can undercut a fund’s prestige. Just last year, investors were begging to get into hot funds. But with hedge funds having their worst year in nearly two decades, investors are getting antsy.
New York Post – Jim Simons, a man known for running one of the world’s most secretive, expensive and successful hedge funds, is on track to wow investors with another year of double-digit returns.
Simons’ $8 billion Medallion fund, the oldest of the three Renaissance Technologies funds, was up 48 percent at the end of July, net of fees, according to people familiar with the funds’ returns.
Medallion, which is funded mostly by Renaissance insiders, charges a whopping 49 percent in fees, including a 5 percent management fee and 44 percent incentive fee.
That’s high even by the standards of an already costly industry – the industry average is a 2 percent management fee and a 20 percent incentive fee – but with such eye-popping returns, no one’s likely to complain.
West Palm Beach (HedgeCo.net)- In a recent IRS Revenue Ruling addressing the tax treatment of management fees incurred in a “fund of funds” structure, the IRS’s has severely restricted UPTs (upper tier partnerships) from obtaining tax benefits from management fees.
In a typical fund of funds structure, an investment is made by a limited partner into an UTP which in turn invests in several lower teir partnerships (LTPs). Both groups pay an annual management fee to an investment manager based on assets under management. Since each LTP was, on the facts assumed by the IRS, engaged in the trading of securities, the management fee is an ordinary and necessary business expense and can still recieve tax benefits.
However, the UTP’s sole activity consisted of acquiring, holding, and disposing of interests in the LTPs while receiving a share of income, gain, loss, deduction and credit, therefore ruling these fees non-deductable in most cases.
In the ruling, the IRS examined prior cases of entitlement to deductions and these cases also viewed the partner, even a limited partner, as engaged in the trade or business of the partnership.
Editing by Alex Akesson Editor for HedgeCo LLC Email: alex@hedgeco.net
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