ESSEN, Germany, Feb. 10  Finance ministers from the world’s leading economies put the $1.4 trillion hedge fund industry firmly on the international policy agenda on Saturday, saying they would scrutinize the sector closely with an eye toward encouraging more self-regulation.
Representatives from the Group of 7 nations, who met in the industrial center of the host country, Germany, issued a statement saying that the practices of hedge funds, which have drawn growing concern from financial policy makers over the last few years, have “become more complex and challenging†in light of the industry’s prominence and volatility.
“Given the strong growth of the hedge fund industry and the instruments they trade, we need to be vigilant,†the ministers said in their statement. “We therefore agreed to further pursue the issue.â€Â
