Industry Updates

HFR: Asian hedge funds soar in Q3, HFRX China Index outperforms Shanghai Composite by nearly 25% YTD

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

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Opalesque Industry Update - Asian hedge funds continued their strong performance in the third quarter, with the HFRX China Index gaining 10.5 percent for the quarter according to data released today by Hedge Fund Research, Inc. (HFR), the leading provider of hedge fund industry data. Strong Q3 returns have brought YTD performance of the HFRX China Index to +5.5 percent, outperforming the benchmark Shanghai Composite by nearly 25 percent. As a result of the strong performance and indicative of the growing global investor interest in exposure to Asian markets, assets invested in Asian hedge funds increased by nearly $4 B to $78 B, inclusive of over $300 M in net new investor inflows.

The Asian hedge fund industry maintains significantly different strategic dynamics from the overall hedge fund industry, recently experiencing increases in Activist funds and strategies maintaining high sensitivities to equity markets. In the last 12 months, the number of Asian hedge funds which focus on Event Driven strategies increased to nearly 8% of the Asian hedge fund industry; over half of which specialize in Activist and Distressed strategies. Nearly two-thirds of capital invested in Asian-focused hedge funds in allocated to Equity Hedge strategies; this represents a significant contrast to the overall hedge fund industry, of which Equity Hedge represents less than one third. Geographically, new funds continue to locate in China; nearly twenty-five percent of all Asian hedge fund firms are now located in China.

“Macro developments in Asian financial markets have become catalysts for global markets, including currency, equity, commodity and inflation exposures,” said Ken Heinz, President of Hedge Fund Research. “Nearly every aspect of the global economy, from trade, energy, financial stability and production is increasingly influenced by Asian economies, and the Asian hedge fund industry has evolved to provide global investors with access to these influential market dynamics.”

(press release)

About HFR
Hedge Fund Research, Inc. (HFR) is the global leader in the alternative investment industry. Established in 1992, HFR specializes in the areas of indexation and analysis of hedge funds. HFR Database, the most comprehensive resource available for hedge fund investors, includes fund-level detail on historical performance and assets, as well as firm characteristics on both the broadest and most influential hedge fund managers. HFR has developed the industry’s most detailed fund classification system, enabling granular and specific queries for relative performance measurement, peer group analysis and benchmarking. HFR produces over 100 indices of hedge fund performance ranging from industry-aggregate levels down to specific, niche areas of sub-strategy and regional investment focus. With performance dating back to 1990, the HFRI Fund Weighted Composite Index is the industry’s most widely used standard benchmark of hedge fund performance globally. The HFR suite of Analysis Products leverages the HFR Database to provide detailed, current, comprehensive and relevant aggregate reference points on all facets of the hedge fund industry. HFR also offers consulting services for clients seeking customized top-level or more nuanced analysis. For the hedge fund industry’s leading investors and hedge fund managers, Hedge Fund Research is The Institutional Standard. Corporate website: www.hfr.com

- FG

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