Hedge Funds


Book Description

A well-rounded hedge fund guide for the serious financial professional Alternative investment strategies-hedge funds in particular-have experienced a significant resurgence recently, largely in response to the dramatic downturn of the global equity markets. In response to this explosion in popularity, this book focuses on many of the best moneymaking strategies related to these alternative investment vehicles. IMCA (The Investment Management Consultants Association) is a professional association established in 1985, representing the investment consulting profession in the U.S. and Canada. Kenneth S. Phillips is a member of the IMCA Advisory Council and Managing Principal of Capital Partners, LLC. Ron Surz, CIMA, is a member of the IMCA Board of Directors and the President of PPCA Inc.




The Hedge Fund Mirage


Book Description

The dismal truth about hedge funds and how investors can get a greater share of the profits Shocking but true: if all the money that's ever been invested in hedge funds had been in treasury bills, the results would have been twice as good. Although hedge fund managers have earned some great fortunes, investors as a group have done quite poorly, particularly in recent years. Plagued by high fees, complex legal structures, poor disclosure, and return chasing, investors confront surprisingly meager results. Drawing on an insider's view of industry growth during the 1990s, a time when hedge fund investors did well in part because there were relatively few of them, The Hedge Fund Mirage chronicles the early days of hedge fund investing before institutions got into the game and goes on to describe the seeding business, a specialized area in which investors provide venture capital-type funding to promising but undiscovered hedge funds. Today's investors need to do better, and this book highlights the many subtle and not-so-subtle ways that the returns and risks are biased in favor of the hedge fund manager, and how investors and allocators can redress the imbalance. The surprising frequency of fraud, highlighted with several examples that the author was able to avoid through solid due diligence, industry contacts, and some luck Why new and emerging hedge fund managers are where generally better returns are to be found, because most capital invested is steered towards apparently safer but less profitable large, established funds rather than smaller managers that evoke the more profitable 1990s Hedge fund investors have had it hard in recent years, but The Hedge Fund Mirage is here to change that, by turning the tables on conventional wisdom and putting the hedge fund investor back on top.




Visual Guide to Hedge Funds


Book Description

Vivid graphics make hedge funds, how they work and how to invest in them, accessible for investors and finance professionals Despite the recent wave of scandals related to the hedge fund industry, interest in hedge funds as a relatively safe alternative investment remains high. Yet details about how the industry operates and the strategies employed by different types of hedge funds is hard to come by. With increasing calls from lawmakers and the media for industry reform, it is incumbent upon finance professionals and high-net-worth individuals to take a good look before leaping into hedge funds. That's where the Bloomberg Visual Guide to Hedge Funds comes in. It provides a graphically rich, comprehensive overview of the industry and its practitioners, zeroing in on how different types of hedge funds work. Based on extensive interviews with hedge fund managers, analysts and other industry experts, the book provides a detailed look at the industry and how it works Outlines investment strategies employed by both long and short hedge funds, as well as global macro strategies Arms you with need-to-know tips, tools and techniques for success with all hedge fund investment strategies Provides a highly visual presentation with an emphasis on graphics and professional applications Real-life examples take you inside how hedge funds illustrating how they operate, who manages them and who invests in them




The Little Book of Hedge Funds


Book Description

The Little Book of Hedge Funds that's big on explanations even the casual investor can use An accessible overview of hedge funds, from their historical origin, to their perceived effect on the global economy, to why individual investors should understand how they work, The Little Book of Hedge Funds is essential reading for anyone seeking the tools and information needed to invest in this lucrative yet mysterious world. Authored by wealth management expert Anthony Scaramucci, and providing a comprehensive overview of this shadowy corner of high finance, the book is written in a straightforward and entertaining style. Packed with introspective commentary, highly applicable advice, and engaging anecdotes, this Little Book: Explains why the future of hedge funds lies in their ability to provide greater transparency and access in order to attract investors currently put off because they do not understand how they work Shows that hedge funds have grown in both size and importance in the investment community and why individual investors need to be aware of their activities Demystifies hedge fund myths, by analyzing the infamous 2 and 20 performance fee and addressing claims that there is an increased risk in investing in hedge funds Explores a variety of financial instruments—including leverage, short selling and hedging—that hedge funds use to reduce risk, enhance returns, and minimize correlation with equity and bond markets Written to provide novice investors, experienced financiers, and financial institutions with the tools and information needed to invest in hedge funds, this book is a must read for anyone with outstanding questions about this key part of the twenty-first century economy.




A Guide to Starting Your Hedge Fund


Book Description

Successful hedge fund investing begins with well-informed strategy A Guide to Starting Your Hedge Fund is a practical, definitive "how-to" guide, designed to help managers design and launch their own funds, and to help investors select and diligence new funds. The first book to examine the practical aspects of setting up and operating funds with a focus on energy commodity markets, this book scrutinises the due diligence process and comprehensively reviews the opportunities and risks of all energy commodity markets as hedge fund investments. Extensive planning and strategy advice prove invaluable to prospective fund managers and investors alike, and detailed discussion of the markets' constraints help inform procedural decisions. Readers gain insight into practical matters including legal and commercial structures, due diligence, fund raising, operations, and more, allowing them to construct a concrete investment plan before ever touching a penny. Asset managers are looking to energy commodities to provide attractive uncorrelated – if volatile – returns. These high returns, however, are accompanied by high risk. Few investors have experience evaluating these investment opportunities, and few prospective fund managers understand the market fundamentals and their associated risks. This book provides the answers sorely lacking in hedge fund literature, giving investors and fund managers the background they need to make smarter decisions. Understand the markets' structures, opportunities, and risks Develop a comprehensive, well-informed investment strategy Conduct thorough due diligence with a detailed plan Examine the practical aspects of fund raising, legal and tax structure, and more Oil has long been traded by hedge funds, but electricity, the fuels that generate electricity, and the environmental products like emissions allowances and weather derivatives have become the new "hot" investment strategies. These high returns come with higher risk, but A Guide to Starting Your Hedge Fund ensures participants have essential information at their disposal.




More Money Than God


Book Description

Wealthy, powerful, and potentially dangerous, hedge-find managers have emerged as the stars of twenty-first century capitalism. Based on unprecedented access to the industry, More Money Than God provides the first authoritative history of hedge funds. This is the inside story of their origins in the 1960s and 1970s, their explosive battles with central banks in the 1980s and 1990s, and finally their role in the financial crisis of 2007-9. Hedge funds reward risk takers, so they tend to attract larger-than-life personalities. Jim Simons began life as a code-breaker and mathematician, co-authoring a paper on theoretical geometry that led to breakthroughs in string theory. Ken Griffin started out trading convertible bonds from his Harvard dorm room. Paul Tudor Jones happily declared that a 1929-style crash would be 'total rock-and-roll' for him. Michael Steinhardt was capable of reducing underlings to sobs. 'All I want to do is kill myself,' one said. 'Can I watch?' Steinhardt responded. A saga of riches and rich egos, this is also a history of discovery. Drawing on insights from mathematics, economics and psychology to crack the mysteries of the market, hedge funds have transformed the world, spawning new markets in exotic financial instruments and rewriting the rules of capitalism. And while major banks, brokers, home lenders, insurers and money market funds failed or were bailed out during the crisis of 2007-9, the hedge-fund industry survived the test, proving that money can be successfully managed without taxpayer safety nets. Anybody pondering fixes to the financial system could usefully start here: the future of finance lies in the history of hedge funds.




Hedge Funds


Book Description

The hedge fund industry has grown dramatically over the last two decades, with more than eight thousand funds now controlling close to two trillion dollars. Originally intended for the wealthy, these private investments have now attracted a much broader following that includes pension funds and retail investors. Because hedge funds are largely unregulated and shrouded in secrecy, they have developed a mystique and allure that can beguile even the most experienced investor. In Hedge Funds, Andrew Lo--one of the world's most respected financial economists--addresses the pressing need for a systematic framework for managing hedge fund investments. Arguing that hedge funds have very different risk and return characteristics than traditional investments, Lo constructs new tools for analyzing their dynamics, including measures of illiquidity exposure and performance smoothing, linear and nonlinear risk models that capture alternative betas, econometric models of hedge fund failure rates, and integrated investment processes for alternative investments. In a new chapter, he looks at how the strategies for and regulation of hedge funds have changed in the aftermath of the financial crisis.




How to Create and Manage a Hedge Fund


Book Description

Includes trading examples that illustrate points about risk management and leverage. Presents all the practical knowledge necessary to run a leveraged investment company. Non-technical explanations brings an element of transparency to a part of the investment world often thought of as difficult to understand.




Energy And Environmental Hedge Funds


Book Description

Praise for Energy & Environmental Hedge Funds: The New Investment Paradigm "I highly recommend this book for those investors interested in energy and environmental hedge funds. It is a great handbook on these topics. The authors make a difficult subject easy for investors to understand. Energy and Environmental Hedge Funds are both the newest and next area for hedge fund investment and diversification." —Lisa Vioni, President, HedgeConnection.com "Peter Fusaro and Gary Vasey have done a great jo9b in compiling all of the background information that a newcomer to energy investing should have. This insightful book helps in determining how best to gain exposure to the rapidly changing energy trading sector." —Raj Mahajan, President & Co-Founder, SunGard Kiodex "The entry of opportunistic hedge funds into the energy sector is creating a sea of change for the industry. Fueled by pension funds and institutional investors, hedge funds are attracted to the petroleum industry because the current price volatility provides generous returns for their investors. However, these investments are not without risk. Gary Vasey and Peter Fusaro explain the ins and outs of it all in their insightful narrative." —Don Stowers, Editor, Oil & Gas Financial Journal "Peter Fusaro and Gary Vasey write about energy and environmental hedge fund markets with greater style, aplomb, and insight that any other observers of financial high streets worldwide.... Outlining some of the early and provocative details of an industry's youthful achievement and potential, it is likely that this exposition by two of the energy and financial world's most credible experts will become a seminal work." —Ethan L. Cohen, Director, Utility and Energy Technology, UtiliPoint International, Inc.




How to Invest in Hedge Funds


Book Description

Praise and Reviews "As hundreds of billions of capital seek an appropriate match with thousands of hedge funds, Matthew Ridley has produced a survey of the major hedge fund strategies that will be of great utility to the novice or pro. Comprehensive, insightful, readable, leavened with common sense and wit, it is much like a Consulta due diligence review."Bruce G Wilcox, Chairman, Cumberland Associates LLC"Extremely informative - a thorough synopsis of how funds view different investments. Matt has taken a very complicated process and simplified it so everyone can understand it. After reading this book, everyone will believe they can manage a hedge fund."Marc Lasry, Founder and Managing Partner, Avenue Capital Group"In light of the recent equity bear market and increasing retail and institutional interest in hedge funds, Matt Ridley's book is a most timely introduction and analysis of this complex and diverse asset class."Gary Brass, Managing Director, Consulta Limited"An excellent book that gives a pragmatic coverage of the area without sacrificing depth, Ridley's lengthy experience of the asset class really shines through. This book should leave investment professionals new to the area with the skills they need to hit the ground running, ready to appraise, select and monitor hedge funds and hold their own even when analysing the most complex of strategies."Dr Chris Jones, Director, Alternative Investment Strategies, io investors, Visiting AssociOver the past decade hedge funds have experienced considerable growth as an alternative asset class. Disappointing returns from mainstream markets have stimulated the interest of a previously sceptical investment community. More and more asset managers are now providing their clients with access to hedge funds.How to Invest in Hedge Funds is a clear, step-by-step guide for professionals investing in this area for the first time. It is a practical introduction to various types of hedge fund strategies, and how they work and develop over time. How to Invest in Hedge Funds provides a uniquely balanced picture that outlines both the strengths and weaknesses of this kind of fund.Contents include:definition, origin, structure and attributes of a typical hedge fund;risks and merits of hedge funds;how to select a hedge fund;portfolio construction and management;how to organize a hedge fund research effort;chapters dedicated to explaining specific hedge fund strategies.Written by one of the leading practitioners in the field, How to Invest in Hedge Funds is packed with practical information and guides the reader through the process of investing in this area.