Singapore is the second destination choice for hedge funds after Hong Kong. Start-ups are reportedly on the rise this year, especially after the central bank approved new rules exempting most funds from obtaining a Capital Market Services licence.
According to the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), the Singapore hedge fund industry has weathered the crisis reasonably well in
2009 despite the general downward trend globally. Notwithstanding the year-on-year decline in the number of hedge fund managers from
350 to 320 as at end-2009, the AuM of the Singapore hedge fund industry held steady at S$59 billion (approximately US$42 billion) as at
end-2009.
The profiles of hedge fund managers and their strategies remained highly varied. This diversification has helped to sustain the
industry during the difficult period.
The island country, already a key financial centre, is noticeably making sure that it stays that way through friendly regulations, ongoing
training, good infrastructure, and, apparently, frequent airplane flights.
The Roundtable participants discussed the opportunities that can be found in the region, their outlooks, and focused especially on risks and risk management. This Roundtable further covers:
What the region offer in terms of opportunities
The role of commodities in the Asian markets and in portfolios
The outlook for Asia and for various strategies
The risks and challenges in the market: How are the risks managed? Is VaR an effective risk management tool?
What due diligence should really be about: Various ways to evaluate a manager
Why would one want to set up a hedge fund in Singapore?
The Singapore Roundtable took place on September 21st, 2010, at the local offices of Custom House and included the following experts:
Mark Wightman, SunGard (Asia-Pacific)
Adam Fiore, Chief Operating Officer, Flowering Tree Investment Management
Randall Kahn, Director of Investments, APS Investment Management
Lionel Semonin, Managing Director, Four Elements Capital
Stephane Pizzo, Managing Partner, Lotus Peak Capital
Lampros Vassiliou, Managing Partner, Teak Capital Partners
We thank our 2010 Roundtable Series sponsors Custom House Group and Taussig Capital, as well as SunGard, our Singapore Roundtable
sponsor, for their support.
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