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Bloomberg – Hedge-fund managers including George Soros and Philip Falcone, in an unprecedented appearance before Congress, defended their practices and profits while splitting over whether the U.S. should impose stricter regulations.
"This is not a case where management takes huge bonuses or stock options while the company is failing,” said Falcone, one of five billionaire investors who testified today before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in Washington.
Falcone, senior managing director of New York-based Harbinger Capital Partners, urged Congress to require more disclosure by hedge funds, which oversee $1.7 trillion of investments. Soros, founder of Soros Fund Management LLC, cautioned against “ill-considered” rules because this industry is reeling from market losses and client defections.
New York (HedgeCo.Net) – Five billionaire hedge fund managers stood up before Congress yesterday and shared their differing views on the hedge fund industry.
George Soros, Philip Falcone, John Paulson, James Simons and Ken Griffin all took turns defending hedge funds at the House hearing yesterday, though they clearly weren’t on the same page regarding opinions on regulation.
The hearing was called by democratic committee Chairman Henry Waxman of California, as part of a much larger attempt by Congress to delve deeper into the cause of the credit crisis and to see whether or not hedge funds have had a hand in driving down the values of certain markets.
While Harbinger Capital head Falcone was all about greater regulations, saying that investors "have a right to know what assets companies have an interest in," Soros disagreed. The founder of Soros Fund Management warned against "ill-considered" rules and guidelines if they were merely a product of the recent turmoil in the economy.
Griffin of Citadel Investments agreed saying, "We do not need greater regulation of hedge funds. We’ve not seen hedge funds as a focal point of the carnage."
The issue of taxes was also raised, with a slew democratic representatives firing accusations that the fund managers enjoy special tax breaks.
Paulson & Co. head John Paulson came to the defense saying, "If your constituents, whether a plumber or a teacher, bought a stock and if they held that stock for more than a year they would pay a long-term capital gains rate."
Waxman suggested the hedge fund industry faces increased regulation and transparency when President-elect Barack Obama, who has also been vocal on wanting to raise the capital gains tax, takes office in Janary.
All five hedge fund managers who testified have enjoyed extreme success in the hedge fund industry. George Soros, who is best known for his infamous bet against the British Pound in which he pocketed $1 billion overnight, manages over $19 billion through his company.
Phil Falcone and John Paulson both predicted the subprime crisis before it happened. Paulson took home an estimated $3 billion in 2007, the largest single-year profit by a fund manager to date.
Julie Scuderi Senior Editor for HedgeCo.Net Email: julie@hedgeco.net
International Herald Tribune – Hedge fund managers usually shun the spotlight. But five of them, billionaires all, are about to come under the glare on Capitol Hill.
The money managers — Philip Falcone, Kenneth Griffin, John Paulson, James Simons and George Soros — have been called by a House panel to discuss some of their trade secrets at a hearing on Thursday.
The topics are likely to range from the managers’ use of leverage — the borrowed money that fuels investment returns on the way up but can be devastating on the way down; their funds’ bets in the markets; and the managers’ pay.
Also front and center will be the matter of oversight, one of the most contentious issues confronting the loosely regulated hedge fund industry. Regulation, or the lack of it, has been an issue since the 1990s, but it has come to the fore this year as questions have swirled about hedge funds’ role in the financial crisis.
Financial Times – Hedge fund managers who earned more than $1bn last year, including George Soros and Philip Falcone, are being summoned to Capitol Hill on Thursday to testify under oath about the potential risks their firms pose to the broader economy.
The hearing before the House oversight committee, headed by Democrat Henry Waxman, marks one of the few instances in which the largely unregulated hedge fund industry will be subject to questions by lawmakers.
Reuters – Hedge fund Harbinger Capital Partners said it is not pulling out of high-profile investments like The New York Times Co. and Media General Inc., seeking to quell market rumors after their share prices dropped sharply on Monday.
Philip Falcone, who runs the hedge fund, told Reuters that investors would be mistaken if they thought selling by Harbinger was behind the double-digit percentage declines in stocks it holds, including the Times, Media General Inc., Cablevision Systems Corp, Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. and Calpine Corp.
"People are speculating as to what we’re doing and why we’re doing it, but the reality is different from what they think," Falcone, Harbinger’s senior managing director, said in a phone interview.
He said that while their main fund’s composition has changed since its most recent 13 F regulatory filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on August 13, Harbinger remained bullish on its investments.
New York Post – After months of falling financial stocks and rising oil prices, July’s sudden turnaround was a welcome relief to average investors.
Not so for hedge funds – including subprime-mortgage superstar Phil Falcone.
That’s because a number of smart-money investors, including Falcone’s Harbinger Capital Partners, got slammed when oil took an unexpected dive, and Wall Street stocks suddenly popped in mid-July.
It was the exact reversal of otherwise long-winning bets that energy prices would continue to climb and financial firms would keep getting pummeled.
"July will be bad in aggregate for the hedge fund industry," said Veryan Allen, who advises large investors on hedge funds. "The short squeeze in financial stocks and the oil selloff has hurt quite a few," he said.
New York (HedgeCo.Net) – New York’s top 100 hedge funds are in trouble and can’t seem to get out of the red, according to performance reports obtained by the New York Post.
Prominent hedge funds are still trying to recover from the credit crunch and unless they see a turnaround soon, 2008 could be the first year that hedge funds as a whole lose money since 2000.
Big time fund Appaloosa, who manages about $4 billion, is down almost 18 percent this year, compared to returns of 8 percent and almost 25 percent in ‘07 and ‘06 respectively.
Cantillion Capital Management, another monster fund that has $2 billion tied up, is closing in on 20 percent when it comes to losses this year. And the $10 billion Tontine Associates isn’t faring so well either. The fund is down 17 percent after an amazing 2007 where it posted returns of 40 percent. QVT Financial was another fund that saw 40 percent returns in ’07, only to be down over 6 percent this year.
It’s not all bad news, however. Some fund managers are just destined for success. John Paulson’s fund, Paulson Advantage is up over 18 percent this year after a record breaking 2007. Phillip Falcone of Harbinger Capital is riding high with returns of over 40 percent so far.
Julie Scuderi Senior Editor for HedgeCo.Net Email: julie@hedgeco.net
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Seeking Alpha- In a 13G filing after the close Friday on Sunoco, Inc. (SUN), Philip Falcone’s Harbinger Capital disclosed a 6.6% stake (7,732,600 shares) in the company. The hedge fund did not show a stake in Sunoco at the quarter ended 03/31/08.
A 13G indicates a ‘passive investment’, but Harbinger is a known activist investor. Most recently, Harbinger called on Cleveland-Cliffs (CLF) to cancel its merger with Alpha Natural Resources Inc. (ANR), saying it was not in the best interest of shareholders.
Times Online- Philip Falcone is used to demanding change from underperforming company executives, but yesterday he took Harbinger Capital, his activist hedge fund, into new territory.
Complete with financial advisers and a big stake, Harbinger broke cover as a traditional prospective buyer of strategic assets, with a tentative approach to Inmarsat, the London-listed satellite operator.
Harbinger has a 29.9 per cent holding in Inmarsat, as well as stakes in several other satellite companies, including America’s SkyTerra and Terrestar.
Mr Falcone, a former Barclays Capital trader, appears to be intent on acting as an industry consolidator, a role more commonly played by trade buyers or private equity funds.
