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.
Reuters – Wealthy investors are cutting back exposure to hedge funds after disappointing returns but are not exiting the sector wholesale, and are likely to come back again once markets have calmed down.
High net worth individuals have been key drivers of the rapid growth of the $2.6 trillion industry. Many invested in free-wheeling portfolios well before institutions such as pension funds decided to go in.
But a dire year of performance is presenting hedge funds with their greatest-ever test — Hedge Fund Research’s HFRI index fell 4.68 percent in September, its second worst month ever, taking the year-to-date loss to 9.41 percent.
Still, given the battering equity markets have taken — the FTSE 100 .FTSE fell 24 percent in the nine months to end-September and has since fallen further — wealth managers say they are not deserting the asset class completely.
West Palm Beach (HedgeCo.net) – The alternative investment sector will continue to benefit from increasing asset allocations from Single Family Offices (SFOs), according to "On the Rise," the latest research report sponsored by CPA firm Rothstein Kass.
The white paper, co-sponsored by G Capital highlights the growing relationship between the alternative investment community and SFOs, entities established to serve the needs of individual high-net-worth families. "On the Rise" was co-authored by Russ Alan Prince, a leading authority and counselor on private wealth, and Hannah Shaw Grove, a widely recognized expert on behaviors and finances of high-net-worth individuals.
The findings include that almost three-quarters of SFOs currently invest in hedge funds, with nearly 60% of this group planning additional allocations in the coming year
SFOs with hedge fund allocations hold an average of 3.2 hedge funds or fund-of-funds in the portfolio. Nearly 70% of SFOs with hedge fund allocations report that these investments have met or exceeded performance expectations over the past 12 months.
Over 70% of SFOs with hedge fund allocations report "lack of transparency" as a key concern. Other concerns sited include lock-up periods (60%), style drift (55%) and fraud (37%)
"As SFOs consider an ever-expanding range of investment options, they are increasingly turning to the alternative investment sector and its proven ability to deliver superior returns independent of underlying market conditions," said Rick Flynn, a Principal in Rothstein Kass’ Family Office Group. "Moreover, our findings suggest that performance continues to drive alternative investment allocations. Nearly 70% of those polled said that performance over the last 12 months has been ‘as expected’ or ‘better than expected.’"
The "On the Rise" survey was based on telephone interviews with 146 SFOs and was concluded in August 2008. Investable assets ranged from $312.2 million to $1.3 billion, with a median of roughly $500 million. Just under 60% of the firms polled are based in the Americas, with the balance operating in Europe (21%) and Asia (20%). Additional results were generated from only those entities with reported allocations to the alternative investment sector. For the purposes of this research, SFOs are defined as "created exclusively for or by a single exceptionally wealthy family to provide control, negotiating leverage, and a defense for family members."
"’On the Rise’ details the latest evidence of the growing interrelation between SFOs and the alternative investment community. While high-net-worth individuals generally recognize advantages of hedge fund investing, they are frequently confounded by the growing roster of products and services available. SFOs have had great success in bridging this knowledge gap," said Peter Gerhard, Chief Executive Officer of G Capital Management LLC. "Still, lingering challenges face this blossoming relationship. Both transparency (73%) and style drift (55%) rated as key concerns among respondents. It seems that although high-net-worth families are comfortable involving SFOs in the asset allocation process, they themselves retain a level of involvement. Investors need to feel confident that the funds that have been selected are not only good choices in the moment, but reflect overarching and longer-term investment objectives."
Rothstein Kass is a financial services firm, recognized nationally as a top service provider to the alternative investment industry. The Firm provides audit, tax, accounting and consulting services to hedge funds, fund of funds, private equity funds, broker-dealers and registered investment advisors. Rothstein Kass has offices in New York, New Jersey, California, Colorado, Texas and the Cayman Islands.
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West Palm Beach (HedgeCo.net)- Barclays Global Investors (BGI) has opened an office in the United Arab Emirates’ Dubai International Finance Centre. BGI has been active in the region since 1998 and currently has assets under management of US$ 28 billion in area.
The office, which is co-located with Barclays Wealth and Barclays Capital, will principally address the growing needs of the region’s institutions – including Government sponsored pension and social security funds, Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWFs), Central Banks and High Net Worth individuals and families.
"The new office is a strategic development for BGI’s Middle Eastern business relationships." David Semaya, Chief Executive, Barclays Global Investors Europe & Asia, said, "We are seeing investors in the region becoming more demanding in their investment strategies."
BGI’s iShares, including its three recently launched Sharia’ah compliant funds, will primarily address the retail market. Islamic finance is a $400bn industry, growing at a rate of over 15% per annum.
BGI is the world’s largest asset manager with over $2.0 trillion in assets under management. BGI’s funds include hedge funds and fund of funds as well as index and active equities and bonds funds.
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Hedge Funds Review Magazine- In early 2007 HNWIs bet heavily on riskier asset classes. However further into the year, financial market turmoil and economic uncertainty intensified and HNWIs began to shift their investments to safer, less volatile asset classes.
Exposure to property and hedge funds was reduced in favour of safer investments, according to the “World Wealth Report” from Merrill Lynch and CapGemini.
An increasing proportion of hedge fund assets are coming from institutional investors instead of wealthy clients. This is shifting the main drivers of the industry’s growth.
“This year’s report found that the number of high net worth individuals, and the amount of wealth they control, continued to increase in 2007, with the greatest wealth being created in the emerging markets of India, China, and Brazil,” said Nick Tucker, market leader for the UK and Ireland, global wealth management arm at Merrill Lynch.
West Palm Beach (HedgeCo.Net)- Athamas Capital, a Luxembourg domiciled alternative investment fund, has announced the launch of the Athamas Capital SICAV SIF Hedge Fund. (Specialised Investment Fund)
Launched on June 1st, the hedge fund´s strategy is to achieve an absolute return by investing in listed companies addressing the energy and environmental challenges, including; energy, alternative energy, agriculture, energy efficiency and environmental services.
With Goldman Sachas as prime broker, the Athamas Capital SICAV SIF Hedge Fund has EUR16.5 million ($25.5 million) in seed capital and is open to professional investors, high net worth individuals and institutional investors for a minimum investment of EUR250,000 (approximately $390,000). The target fund size for 2010 through 2012 is EUR50-100 million (approximately $77-154 million).
The hedge fund’s strategy stems from the conviction that the energy and environmental sectors will be key in the 21st century due to the depletion of the global energy supply, rising demand, global warming issues raising awareness, as well as regulations and business initiatives to adapt and mitigate it.
Structured as an umbrella fund with four sub-funds, (some of which are yet to be launched) Athamas Capital is an alternative investment fund in the energy and environmental sector, trading mainly along the lines of; long/short equities, long/short listed or OTC derivatives, and futures on indices or commodities.
Athamas means; ("rich harvest"), the king of Orchomenos in Greek mythology, was the son of Eole. He was married first to the goddess Nephele (goddess of Clouds) with whom he had the twins Phrixus (driving rain) and Helle (bright light).
West Palm Beach (HedgeCo.Net)- The first publicly listed fund investing in rare white and coloured diamonds, the ‘diamond fund’ is to be launched on the London Stock Exchange, according to news sources.
Diamond Circle Capital PLC hopes to raise $400 million in its initial public offering (IPO), building a portfolio of diamonds with a minimum investment of $1 million per stone, and then to wait for prices to increase.
The fund will be headed up by independent commodity asset management firm Diapason Commodities Management, which provides a range of commodity investment solutions to its institutional and high net worth clients.
According to a Reuters report, the closed-end fund will invest in the high-quality segment of the physical polished diamond market, according to a prospectus for the initial public share offer, expected to take place on June 24.
"Catalysts for growth in investment demand are in place for large high-quality diamonds, underpinned by the rising number of high net-worth individuals, especially in the Middle East, Southeast Asia and the Russian Federation," the prospectus for the Diamond Circle fund said.
The prospectus also said that "A steadily declining mineral reserve base, compounded by limited exploration success, suggested tight supplies would continue, which industry analysts say could mean long-term growth for the fund."
HedgeCo.Net – Cranwood Capital Management LLC has announced the launch of their new fund, the Cranwood Fixed Income Arbitrage Fund. The fund seeks to generate high, absolute returns by using Treasury futures to arbitrage temporary discrepancies occurring along the U.S. Treasury Yield Curve.
After building their reputation as a propriety trading firm and posting average monthly returns of 2.93% since July 2005, growing interest from outside investors prompted the team to restructure themselves as a hedge fund. So far, the fund has received interest from both high net worth individuals and institutional investors.
The management team, headed by CEO Peter Powers, has been working together for five years, covering the full 22 1/2 hour trading day. They are able to assemble and liquidate substantial positions in all of the spreads up and down the yield curve as the market presents opportunities over the course of the trading day.
“We make our money daily, in small increments, by taking advantage of minor price adjustments caused by technical supply and demand factors, thus capitalizing on our execution edge,” explains Powers.
Cranwood uses no leverage, seeking more consistent and stable returns. Risking no more than 2-3% of capital each day, their objective is to never take a loss they can’t recover from in two to three days.
The Cranwood Fixed Income Arbitrage Fund has a sister fund, The Cranwood International Fund, a British Virgin Island-domiciled hedge fund, that mirrors the domestic fund.
For more information, please contact John Page at 561-789-7472 or by emailing Jpage@Cranwoodcapital.com.
