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.
Forbes – Hedge fund managers (and would-be hedge fund managers) may finally have reason to celebrate this year — new fund launches are on the rise. If they keep up at this pace, it could be the first year since 2005 to show some annual growth in new fund formations.
This is on the heels of 2,100 hedge fund failures since the credit crisis. That some managers are dusting off and trying again could be a sign that the smart money sees some opportunity in the markets. It might also be that funds that had posted huge losses closed down so that the managers could start with fresh records, resetting high-water marks so that they can collect performance bonuses without making up the money lost in 2008.
Reuters Copenhagen – Business leaders met in Denmark to try to unite behind a common call for long-term climate policies, ahead of a U.N. conference in December meant to forge a new climate treaty to replace the Kyoto Protocol.
"For those who are directly or implicitly lobbying against climate action I have a clear message: your ideas are out of date and you are running out of time," U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a meeting of more than 500 business leaders.
"The smart money is on the green economy," he said. "Leaders sometimes are weak because they are short-sighted to get the votes," he added, urging businesses to lobby for carbon cuts.
Globe and Mail – Canadian hedge funds posted a brutal 11.2 per cent decline in September, losses that are likely to leave many investors questioning this expensive alternative asset strategy.
The latest installment of the Scotia Capital Canadian Hedge Fund Performance shows these funds outperformed the S&P/TSX composite index last month – it was down 14.7 per cent. But mounting losses on funds sold to investors as market neutral, or absolute return, are going to translate into redemptions.
“September was an extremely challenging month for Canadian hedge fund managers who were largely unable to successfully navigate erratic price movements in stocks and falling energy prices,” said Scotia Capital’s note on the sector’s performance.
“Panic selloffs in an environment driven by fear and uncertainty left major equity markets significantly down at the end of September,” said the investment bank. Obviously, the market swings have become even more violent in October.
Financial-Planning.com – Many alternative asset managers, who brag about their ability to make money regardless of market conditions, posted their worst figures in years last month after worldwide sentiment suddenly changed on energy prices, financial stock and the U.S. dollar.
The hedge fund with the biggest loss is SRM, the Monaco-based group that took a huge gamble on Northern Rock last year. When Northern Rock was nationalized, the group lost approximately 85% of its investors’ money, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Many hedge funds were placing huge bets that energy prices and mining stocks would continue to soar and financials would continue to fall, but when that trend reversed last month, they took a major beating.
"There was a tendency for funds that did well in June to do badly in July," Christopher Fawcett, head of Fauchier Partners, told The Times.
