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.
Pensions and Investments – Fairfield Greenwich agreed to pay about $8 million to settle charges leveled at the hedge fund-of-funds manager by William F. Galvin, Massachusetts secretary of the commonwealth, in connection with the Madoff Ponzi scheme.
In settling, Fairfield Greenwich neither admitted nor denied the charges made in the Massachusetts’ Securities Division’s administrative complaint, which was filed April 1. Those charges alleged that the company failed to conduct due diligence on Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities and later misrepresented its due diligence practices to investors in its hedge funds of funds, according to documents on Mr. Galvin’s website. As part of the settlement agreement, Mr. Galvin’s office dropped fraud charges that were included in the original complaint.
Bloomberg – Credit Suisse Group AG held preliminary talks with Chicago-based Mesirow Financial Holdings Inc. about buying its $11 billion business that invests clients’ cash in hedge funds, according to two people familiar with the discussions.
Credit Suisse, based in Zurich, already manages almost $15 billion in its hedge fund of funds unit.
The talks are in the early stages and could fall through, the people said. Officials for both Credit Suisse and Mesirow declined to comment. The talks were first reported in Alternative Investment News.
Professional Pensions – The Universities Superannuation Scheme has appointed UBS Global Asset Management – Fund Services to deliver hedge fund of funds administration services.
The country’s second largest pension fund said it had enhanced its in-house hedge fund selection capability in recent months, by implementing an absolute return strategies programme.
HedgeCo.net (West Palm Beach) – Richard Bookbinder is launching TerraVerde Capital Partners LLC, one of the first ”green” hedge fund of funds in the United States. Bookbinder is Managing Member of Bookbinder Capital Management, a New York-based hedge fund of funds, and a founding Principal of Sandler, O’Neill & Partners, L.P.
TerraVerde allocates capital to hedge funds devoted solely to reducing carbon emissions through clean-tech, renewable energy and other environmental sectors such as carbon trading, energy, solar, wind, water, reforestation and more.
”We’re in the early stages of a long-term, multi-generational growth cycle for carbon reduction strategies,” Bookbinder said. ”TerraVerde is focused on those green strategies that are capitalizing on the business potential driven by the need for energy security and clean energy use.”
While managing one of Bookbinder Capital’s other hedge fund of funds, Bookbinder studied the emergence of investment opportunities in the ”green” space. After an in-depth analysis of the industry, including meeting with hedge fund managers, green private equity funds, scientists, historians, and others, he came to the realization: investment funds with an environmental focus offer sufficient, attractive long-term investment opportunities to dedicate an entire strategy focused solely on the “green” space.
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Bloomberg – Ronnie Wu, chief investment officer of the $400 million hedge fund of funds house Penjing Asset Management Ltd., will start a pool of money dedicated to providing early investments to new hedge funds next month.
It aims to make five to six investments with the flagship Penjing Asia Fund by year-end, he said in an interview yesterday. The new pool will begin with about $25 million from Wu’s family and friends and then raise capital from investors after the initial money has been deployed.
West Palm Beach (HedgeCo.net) – Roy H. Callahan has been selected as portfolio manager and member of the investment committee at alternative investment firm, Coast Asset Management, LLC firm’s , effective June 15.
"We are thrilled that Roy Callahan has agreed to rejoin our team," said David Smith, president of Coast. "Roy brings a wealth of knowledge and alternative investments expertise that will be invaluable as we continue to steer Coast through the challenges brought on by the global recession."
Callahan joins Coast from Stratos Advisers, a southern California-based hedge fund of funds manager. Previously, Callahan worked at Financial Risk Management (FRM) where his responsibilities included serving on the investment and portfolio management committees as well as training and mentoring FRM investment analyst groups. He spent six years from 1994-2000 at Santa Monica, CA-based Coast as director of research where he helped Coast founder David Smith develop and launch the firm’s initial multi-manager investment strategies.
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West Palm Beach (HedgeCo.net) – Arden Asset Management LLC, a leading independent fund of hedge funds manager, and J.P. Morgan today announced an agreement under which Arden will manage a $1.1 billion proprietary hedge fund of funds portfolio for J.P. Morgan’s investment banking division, effective July 1, 2009. J.P. Morgan’s investment bank has agreed to seed several new Arden funds and invest in one of Arden’s current flagship funds with these assets.
As part of the agreement, a team led by Shakil Riaz, Chief Investment Officer of J.P. Morgan’s proprietary hedge fund of funds program since inception in 1995, will join Arden. Mr. Riaz will become a member of the Arden Investment Committee and continue his investment leadership role for new funds seeded by the J.P. Morgan assets. The existing Arden funds and customized accounts will continue to be managed by Arden senior investment professionals and Investment Committee members: Averell H. Mortimer, Chairman; Henry P. Davis, Managing Director and Head of US Manager Research; Ian P. McDonald, Managing Director and Head of European and Asian Manager Research; and Matthew Bianco, Managing Director and Head of Risk Management.
“Arden’s high quality institutional infrastructure and well-established investment processes were important in our decision to select the firm to manage these assets,” said Robert Case, head of Principal Investment Management for J.P. Morgan’s investment bank. “Partnering with Arden, which has a proven track record of managing absolute return programs through many market cycles, enables us to continue participation in this attractive asset class, while better managing our overall capital commitments.”
Averell Mortimer, Arden President and Chief Executive Officer, said, “We are pleased to partner with J.P. Morgan on this unique venture, which we believe will create significant value for both Arden investors and J.P. Morgan in the years to come. Importantly, this initiative further strengthens our organization and brings additional specialization and expertise to Arden’s global investment program. We warmly welcome Shakil and his colleagues to Arden and believe investors will benefit from their market experience and long-term investment record as we develop new strategies to meet the expanding needs of our sophisticated institutional clientele.”
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Bloomberg – Penjing Asset Management, a Hong Kong-based hedge fund of funds manager overseeing about $520 million, said it may not get any performance fees until next year, and declining income will restrict staff bonuses.
The company, which ran the fourth-best-performing Asia- Pacific fund of hedge funds last year, plans to keep all its 22 staff as layoffs by rivals make it cheaper to retain talent, said Chief Investment Officer Ronnie Wu.
“Realistically, 2009 we are just trying to climb the high- water mark,” Wu, 40, said in an interview yesterday, referring to a fund’s peak net asset value. “If we’re lucky, maybe we will get some incentive fees in 2010. It will be tough. The senior guys will take a pay cut. But if we can keep everybody intact, I think the future will get better again.”
