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.
New York Times – It is time to get serious about hedge fund risk. This, however, is not the usual argument for more regulation of hedge funds. Here is a contrarian view: the best course for our capital markets may actually be in the other direction. Perhaps hedge funds need to be deregulated, breaking down the wall that restricts hedge fund investing only to the wealthy.
All investors — not just rich ones — should have access to the superior investing and diversification potential of hedge funds. Deregulating these opaque entities will also bring these funds out into the open, helping regulators monitor systemic risk, where the real focus of hedge fund supervision should be.
Private equity funds General Atlantic and Fidelity, hedge fund TPG-Axon, CME, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA) and a group company of Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund Temasek are said to be eyeing a 5% stake each in MCX Stock Exchange (MCX-SX), people familiar with the divestment process told ET.
Deutsche Bank, Nomura Financial Advisory and Antique Capital Markets are advising the stock bourse on the divestment. An MCX spokesperson declined comment on the development.
West Palm Beach (HedgeCo.net) – NorthPoint Trading Partners, LLC has opened a new office in Chicago, IL., with 12 year industry veteran, Michael Ferro, as head. Ferro has held positions at Genworth Financial, Knight Capital Markets, and X-Change Financial Access. He is experienced in both the trading and operations aspects of the buy and sell side, the company said.
“As we continue to expand our presence nationwide, we are very fortunate to have someone with Michael’s talent and experience join our team,” says Douglas Nelson, Chief Executive Officer of NorthPoint Trading Partners, LLC. Atlanta based NorthPoint opened also opened an office in Connecticut earlier in the year.
NorthPoint is an institutional brokerage and fund services company working with small and medium sized hedge funds.
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West Palm Beach (HedgeCo.net) – In testimony before the House Financial Services Subcommittee; “Perspectives on Hedge Fund Registration”, the Managed Funds Association (MFA) announced its support for the new push for mandatory registration of managers with the SEC.
"Though hedge funds were not the cause of the ongoing problems in our financial markets and our economy, MFA and our members share the commitment of policy makers to enact measures that will help restore stability to our markets, strengthen financial institutions and restore investor confidence." Richard H. Baker, MFA President and CEO, said, "We believe supporting mandatory registration for investment advisers is just one of the many important steps that can be taken towards these mutually shared goals."
Baker’s testimony stressed that while hedge funds are important to the capital markets and the financial system, the relatively small size and scope of the industry, with approximately $1.5 trillion in assets under management, did not pose significant systemic risk. He also stressed that hedge funds are substantially less leveraged than banks, have outperformed the overall market and have not sought any federal assistance.
“A registration framework that overwhelms the resources, technology and capabilities of regulators will not achieve the intended objective, and will greatly impair the ability of the regulator to fulfill their existing responsibilities, as well as their new responsibilities.
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Seeking Alpha – Zero Hedge is always happy to discover something rotten in the state of capital markets. We are even happier when others dig independently and come up with their own startling conclusions.
Last night, we were very happy. John Hempton, who writes the insightful blog Bronte Capital, has done some amazing dot connecting in what, if true, and not swept promptly under the carpet by the powers that be, could expose a hedge fund scandal that could rival the Madoff fiasco, for the simple reason that it implicates none other than Barak Obama’s right hand man: Joe Biden.
The fund in question is Paradigm Capital, a fund of funds, that is controlled by Hunter and James Biden, the VP’s son and brother, respectively.
Reuters – Islamic short-selling would help develop sharia capital markets, Malaysia’s stock exchange chief said on Thursday, defending plans for a controversial platform it hopes will improve market liquidity.
Some sharia scholars frown on short-selling, saying it amounts to selling what one does not own. Malaysia wants to allow regulated Islamic short-selling, a move criticised as sacrificing religious principles for market expediency.
Financial Standard – The financial crisis could bridge the gap between diametrically opposed asset managers with more hedge funds merging with long-only funds to slash operational costs, predicts consultancy firm Accenture.
Mark Halverson, global executive partner, wealth & asset management, at Accenture Capital Markets said one of the fallouts of the market crisis is that in Europe, some hedge funds and private equity firms with long-only asset managers are merging their businesses either to stay afloat or to halve operational costs.
Times Online – The Financial Services Authority is facing a multimillion-pound compensation claim from a group of investors who say that the City watchdog failed to stop the activities of a suspected rogue trader.
Former clients of GFX Capital Markets, which has collapsed with estimated losses of £44 million, say that the FSA knew of serious concerns about its boss, Terry Freeman, but allowed him to continue trading.
The accusation comes as the regulator is struggling to cope with the most serious loss of public confidence in its decade-long history. It was accused of being negligent in its monitoring of Northern Rock, the mortgage lender that was nationalised last year, and the regulator’s chairman, Lord Turner of Ecchinswell, has been forced to draw up radical plans to improve its ability to police the City.
Barbados Advocate – There is a need for stock exchanges in Barbados and the Caribbean to attract new types of products and market activities.
Marlon Yarde, general manager of the Barbados Stock Exchange (BSE) has made the suggestion while addressing a recent function in Jamaica.
He spoke on the topic, “Strengthening Institu-tional Development in the Regional Capital Markets.
There are stock exchanges in Barbados, The Bahamas, Guyana, Jamaica, Eastern Caribbean, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Expansion must be done in a more co-ordinated way into the fixed income and debt market as internationally the market for these is even larger than for equity securities.
