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.
Proactive Investors UK – The top thirty gainers for the London Stock Exchange (‘LSE’) read out like a roll call for the British and Irish financial industry, after the Financial Services Authority (‘FSA’) announced late last night that it was imposing a temporary ban on short selling financial stocks. Groups with short positions over 0.25% in the 29 companies included in the ban will have to declare their positions by Tuesday.
Not surprisingly, the FTSE 100 roared to life this morning, climbed a whopping 340 points, or 7.1% to 5225 by 10:30am, the biggest single day gain in more than two decades. The surge higher was lead by financial institutions, which have been offered a temporary reprieve from the usually lucrative tactic by hedge funds to short sectors out of favour with the market. Even large spread betting firms, like CMC Markets, informed private investors this morning that it was not accepting any new short bets on financial stocks, as under normal circumstances, it would hedge those bets, but can no longer do so.
MSN India- ICICI Venture Fund Management is planning to list its $1.5 billion real estate fund on the London Stock Exchange (LSE).
According to sources, the fund house will be providing the flexibility in the document to list the realty fund anytime during its life span.
ICICI Venture, the largest PE fund in India, currently manages about $2.5 billion in assets.
Its investment focus areas span across private equity, buyouts, real estate and mezzanine financing. The country’s largest private equity fund plans to raise $3 billion for two funds When contacted, an official spokesperson for ICICI Ventures offered no comments.
London Stock Exchange- Allianz Global Investors is mulling the launch of a listed hedge of hedge funds to be aimed at retail investors.
The launch of the multi-strategy Peletier Absolute fund would mark the first time that small investors have been permitted access to a European hedge fund manager.
Once operational the fund is targeting a return comparable to Allianz’ KGH Licorne fund and will target investments in between 40 and 50 hedge funds.
CNN Money- A listed fund of hedge funds operated by Goldman Sachs Group Inc. (GS) has lifted its assets by about 25% by raising an additional $ 221.3 million on the London Stock Exchange on Tuesday.
Goldman Sachs Dynamic Opportunities Ltd. (GSDO.LN), which invests in 20 hedge funds run by managers including New York’s Och-Ziff Capital Management Group LLC and London’s The Children’s Investment Fund Management (UK) LLP, now manages about $840.2 million, making it the second-largest fund of hedge funds trading in London.
Investors have been scooping up shares in listed funds of hedge funds as a way to diversify from traditional stocks and try to preserve capital in turbulent markets. Funds of hedge funds have historically posted flat returns in years when stock markets suffered sharp declines.
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."
HedgeWeek – A hedge fund focusing on Russia and the former Soviet Union, Da Vinci CIS Private Sector Growth Fund, has become the first listing on the Specialist Fund Market, the London Stock Exchange’s new market for alternative investment vehicles.
The fund has raised approximately USD110m to invest in unlisted equity and equity-related securities of companies located in Russia and other member countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
‘Da Vinci’s admission to the Specialist Fund Market, together with the formal listing of BH Global, the second main market fund from Brevan Howard, cement London’s position as the public market of choice for hedge funds and other alternative investment vehicles,’ says Martin Graham, director of equity markets at London Stock Exchange Group.
BH Global, a newly-established feeder fund investing in the Brevan Howard Global Opportunities Master Fund, began unconditional dealing on May 29 having raised USD1bn through a listing on the London Stock Exchange’s main market.
‘Integral to London’s attractiveness is the choice of markets that we are able to offer funds, aligned to their profile and structure, the types of investors they wish to target and the risk premium sought by investors,’ Graham adds.
‘The creation of the Specialist Fund Market adds to that choice, and we expect to see more funds follow Da Vinci’s lead over the coming months by using the Specialist Fund Market to access London’s unique community of expert investors.’
Da Vinci Capital Management founder and managing partner Oleg Jelezko says: ‘It is a great pleasure to see the Da Vinci CIS Private Sector Growth Fund commence trading, a major milestone for our flagship product.
