Opalesque Exclusive: Stabilizing macro headwinds would provide environment for stock picking this year - Opalesque Geneva Roundtable... [more]From Komfie Manalo, Opalesque Asia: Fund managers are hoping that macro headwinds will come down this year and stabilize the markets to create an environment of stock picking. This was discussed at the recent Opalesq

Opalesque Exclusive: Sentiment, an Uncorrelated Investment Strategy... [more]Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York: Christopher Foster is known as the architect of sentiment strategy. He is the CEO of Blackheath Fund Management, a managed futures advisory firm (CTA) based in Toronto, and serves as the portfolio manager for their sentiment program. He began developing his st

Opalesque Exclusive: EDHEC Risk Paper finds Hedge Funds Disadvantaged by Current Capital Charge Requirements... [more]By Beverly Chandler, Opalesque London: Mathieu Vaissié, Research Associate at the EDHEC-Risk Institute and Senior Portfolio Manager at Lyxor AM has produced a paper claiming that the Solvency II regulations could be helpful for the hedge fund industry. In

David Tepper to Back Jeff Lignelli's Maiden Hedge Fund... [more]From Citybizlist.com: …David Tepper's former protege at Appaloosa Management, Jeff Lignelli, has started his own hedge fund with a boost from his former boss. Billionaire Tepper will seed Lignelli's Incline Global Management with an undisclosed investment. Incline, slated to debut in April, wi

Ascalon Seeds Capital into Asian Hedge Funds... [more]From Asianinvestor.net: Ascalon Capital Managers, the Australian alternatives fund incubator, has been branching out into Asia, where it is investing in funds and also raising capital for its stable of strategies Down Under. Since establishing an on-the-ground presence in Hong Kong in mid-201

In Punishing Year for Hedge Funds, Bridgewater Thrived... [more]From NYTimes.com: The world’s biggest hedge fund is also one of the best performers. Bridgewater Associates, which manages nearly $120 billion, posted returns of 23 percent in 2011 — a year when the average hedge fund portfolio lost 5 percent. Against the backdrop of fear over European debt an

Hedge Fund Firm Covenant Financial Services Reborn as Covenant Global Investors... [more]Covenant Financial Services, LLC the management company for the Covenant family of target-return, global macro hedge funds and separately managed accounts, announced today it has changed its trade name to “Covenant Global Investors.” The change was made to better reflect the firm’s current positi

Investing – Hedge Funds Eyeballing Shares of GM, Hedgeye’s Keith McCullough Sells All Equities, Now 91% Cash, Yen Jumps Most in a Month as Hedge Funds Pile in... [more]Hedge Funds Eyeballing Shares of GM From MSN.com: An investment in GM offers upside to the cyclical recovery in the North American markets, as well as the best possible exposure to the secular growth in the BRIC countries, particularly China, but also Brazil. Balance sheet and operation

Texas Pension Fund ‘Eaten Alive’ by Hedge Fees, May Curb Costs by Hiring In-House... [more]From Bloomberg.com: Texas’s Permanent School Fund may hire in-house money managers to oversee its $25 billion in assets because returns are being “eaten alive” by hedge-fund fees, according to Chief Investment Officer Holland Timmins. Returns were less than 1 percent for the 44 months through

Outlook – Women in Alternative Investments See Brighter Days Ahead... [more]From Theglasshammer.com: “Even during this time of economic turmoil, women are generally positive about the ability to find investments in the industry,” said Kelly Easterling, Principal in the Financial Services Practice at Rothstein Kass and Principal-in-Charge of the Firm’s Walnut Creek office.

Other Voices: A Very Crowded Trade... [more]This article was authored by Richard Harris, fund manager at Port Shelter Investment Management, based in Hong Kong. He compares the investment management industry to what it was like 26 years ago. I remember a former Managing Director asking me to write a message to Head Office on a blank

Comment – Hedge Fund Managers Hit Davos, Can Hedge Fund Managers Master Market Volatility?... [more]Hedge Fund Managers Hit Davos From Hedgefund.net: Some of the world’s top hedge fund managers have shown up at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Swizerland this week. Not a surprise when considering this is the premier event for political and business leaders to rub shoulde

Regulatory – Increased Regulatory Oversight Puts Focus on Hedge Fund Governance, AIFMD Seen as Most Unclear Regulatory Development in the Alternatives Industry... [more]Increased Regulatory Oversight Puts Focus on Hedge Fund Governance From Investmentexecutive.com: Additional regulatory scrutiny should ultimately benefit the hedge fund industry by increasing the focus on compliance and fund governance, says Moody's Investors Service. In a new report, Mo

MF Global – MF Global Clients May Lose in $700m Bankruptcy Fight... [more]From Bloomberg/Businessweek.com: MF Global Holding Ltd.’s clients may be the losers no matter who wins a $700 million dispute between bankruptcy administrators in London and New York that threatens the return of money locked in customer accounts. The trustee of MF Global Inc., the New York bro

Legal – Jyske Bank Profit Hit by $40m Hedge Fund Provision... [more]From Reuters.com: Jyske Bank , Denmark's second-biggest bank, posted a fall in profit after making a $40 million dollar provision against lawsuits brought by investors who had lost money in one of its hedge funds during the nadir of the credit crisis. Jyske said on Thursday it had made a provi

North America – Hedge Funds Lift Romney’s Income... [more]From Bostonglobe.com: Though Mitt Romney made his reputation as a private equity investor, his tax returns show the presidential candidate has a large portion of his wealth in an even more aggressive corner of the investment world: hedge funds. A Globe examination of Romney’s taxes and a prior

Europe – Greek Debt Wrangle May Pull Default Swaps Trigger, When Will Hedge Funds Cut Greece Loose, Asks Equity Chief, Potential Impact of a Eurozone Break-up on Foreign Exchange Swaps and Currency Options Contracts... [more]Greek Debt Wrangle May Pull Default Swaps Trigger From Bloomberg/SFGate.com: Opposition to payouts on Greek credit-default swaps from European policy makers is softening as disputes over a voluntary debt exchange threaten to push the nation into default. Any agreement between the G

People – Atlantic Trust Attracts Top Talent to Multi-Manager Investment Team... [more]Atlantic Trust, the private wealth management division of Invesco Ltd., announced the addition of Lester Duke, CFA, as vice president and alternative investments analyst, and Scott Burg, CFA, CAIA, as vice president and traditional investments analyst, to the firm's Multi-Manager Investment Program.

Commodities – Hedge Fund Guru Sees Gold Price Soaring, Gold Advances to Seven-Week High on Fed Statement; Silver Jumps... [more]Hedge Fund Guru Sees Gold Price Soaring From Barrons.com: In the current uncertain environment, one hedge fund guru is in no doubt where investors should put their money – gold. The fund manager, who wishes to remain anonymous, was unequivocal in his belief and was bullish on the l

Service Providers – Greenwich Residents Start Brand Management Company to Defend Hedge Funds, Eurex and IFM Announce Joint Educational Initiative... [more]Greenwich Residents Start Brand Management Company to Defend Hedge Funds From Newstimes.com: …Christopher Hunt and Scott Scanlon, owners of the newly established Aeris Media Group in Greenwich, are keen to change that. "Basically, what we do is build, extend and manage corporate br

News Briefs – Pershing Square’s $25m Gift Puts Hedge Fund on Signature Marquee, Ex-Hedge Funder Who Lost Client Money In Poker Games Is Suing The Celebrities Who Beat Him, Mets Owners Seek Dismissal of Madoff Lawsuit... [more]Pershing Square’s $25m Gift Puts Hedge Fund on Signature Marquee Hedge fund manager William Ackman donated $25 million to New York’s nonprofit Signature Theatre, which said it will rename its new, Frank Gehry-designed off- Broadway complex after his foundation. The “Pershing Square Signa

…And Finally – Man tries to light cannabis pipe with 9kg propane gas cylinder... [more]From Stuff.co.nz: A man has suffered extensive burns after LPG from a cylinder he was using to light a cannabis pipe exploded in his face, police say. Sergeant Paul Lee said emergency services were called to Clyde Street in Masterton about 12.50pm today. On arrival, they found a 22-year-