Large hedge funds grow assets almost three times faster than sub $5bn funds... [more]Komfie Manalo, Opalesque Asia: As institutional investors’ needs continue to evolve, they are increasingly looking to work with larger hedge fund managers and intermediaries who can meet their appetite for comprehensive portfolio solutions, said Barry Bausano, co-head of Global Prime Finance at D

Ontario Teachers anchor investor of Guggenheim hedge fund spin-out... [more]Komfie Manalo, Opalesque Asia: Multi-strategy hedge fund manager, Deimos Asset Management LLC, announced the recent launch of its new hedge fund management business. One of Canada’s biggest pension funds and global alternative asset manager Ares Management, L.P., has made a strategic investment i

RBR, Cologny put pressure on Gategroup... [more]Benedicte Gravrand, Opalesque Geneva: According to the Swiss press, two European activist hedge funds are putting pressure on Gategroup, a provider of products and services for airlines and their passengers. Zurich-based

GAM plans to broaden range of active strategies, cease Swiss & Global brand... [more]Benedicte Gravrand, Opalesque Geneva: GAM Holding AG, an independent asset management group headquartered in Zurich and listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange, reported yesterday underlying net profit of CHF 177.2m for 2014 (down 16% from 2013),

Performance - Jana Partners up 6.7% in February, gains 1.8% YTD, Dan Loeb’s Third Point Ultra is said to gain 7.3% in February, Viking Global rewarded for sticking with Walgreens... [more]Jana Partners up 6.7% in February, gains 1.8% YTD From Reuters.com: Hedge fund Jana Partners reported a 6.7 percent gain in its flagship fund last month after losing 4.6 percent in January, leaving it up 1.8 percent for the year to date, an investor in the fund said on Tuesday. Sev

Indices - HFRI EM: Russia/Eastern Europe Index declines -18.6% in 4Q14 (-26.5 YTD), HFRU Hedge Fund Composite Index up 1.76% in February (+3.84% YTD), Credit Suisse Liquid Alternative Beta Index up 2.63% in February... [more]HFRI EM: Russia/Eastern Europe Index declines -18.6% in 4Q14 (-26.5 YTD) Hedge fund capital invested in Emerging Markets declined to conclude 2014, falling from the record level established in 3Q14 on a combination of performance losses and investor outflows concentrated in funds with exp

Infrastructure as alternative investment... [more]From Forbes.com: Listed investments have been tracking oil prices lately, even businesses that have nothing to do with oil prices. Have a look at US alternative energy stocks, shares in companies that compete with coal and gas, not oil. That is because the listed markets often move together, whether

Jeff Vinik sees no bubble in technology stocks, believes in the market... [more]From Gurufocus.com: Jeff Vinik managed the enormous Fidelity Magellan Fund from 1992 to 1996 following in the footsteps of the legendary Peter Lynch. Following that he ran his own hedge fund until 2010 when he returned all capital to shareholders. Today he doesn't see any great bubble in the e

Institutions - Pension funds trail individuals in embracing index funds... [more]From NYTimes.com: More individuals are pouring money into so-called passive investing or index funds, which aim to match the performance of the main stock and bond markets, but larger institutions like pension funds and endowments have been slower to follow suit, despite the potential for higher ret

Comment - Can alternatives provide income in retirement?... [more]From Morningstar.co.uk: Equity and bonds do not offer uncorrelated returns. Thanks to the intervention of central banks – and their quantitative easing programs – both bond markets and equity markets have risen in unison over the past five years. This behavior defies simple market theory; when bond

Legal - Citibank lawyer warns judge Argentina branch will be in danger if he blocks bond payments... [more]From Startribune.com: A Citibank lawyer warned a judge on Tuesday that its Argentina branch will be in "great danger" if he refuses to let the South American nation pay interest to bondholders. Attorney Karen Wagner described the threat to U.S. District Judge Thomas Griesa during three hours of argu

Investing - Hedge funds race to raise money for energy debt, Vanguard tiptoes into the liquid alternatives market, Merrill Lynch tells its advisers to get some water... [more]Hedge funds race to raise money for energy debt From Bloomberg.com: Hedge fund manager Jason Mudrick told Bloomberg Television on Feb. 3 that the decline in oil prices presented “the most exciting” opportunity since the 2008 financial crisis. The distressed-debt manager has wasted little

Activist News - Trian's proxy war with DuPont revives dormant voting debate, Kyle Bass is using an obscure new law to mess with drug companies... [more]Trian's proxy war with DuPont revives dormant voting debate From Forbes.com: Universal proxy ballots, the inclusion of board nominees from both sides of an activist fight on a single voting card, was key in Bill Ackman’s defeat by Target in 2009 and his successful ouster of Canadian Paci

Service Providers - Apex acquires hedge fund administrator Pinnacle Fund Administration, Mitsubishi UFJ Fund Services expands middle office services... [more]Apex acquires hedge fund administrator Pinnacle Fund Administration Apex Fund Services announced the acquisition of Pinnacle Fund Administration, affirming Apex¹s market position as one of the largest independent administrators globally. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Pinnac

News Briefs - 100 Women in Hedge Funds benefits literacy charity... [more]100 Women in Hedge Funds Cayman has announced that local charity LIFE (Literacy is for Everyone) has been designated as the 2015 beneficiary of its philanthropic initiatives. 100WHF, which has more than 400 members in Cayman, said it aligns its yearly objectives to a global theme which rotates on a

…And Finally - Scientists make full U.S.-scale simulation of 307 million individuals and thousands of outbreaks to find out where to hide from Zombies... [more]From Livescience.com: In the event of a zombie outbreak, the best way to avoid getting infected is to stay away from populated areas, according to a new study. In fact, research suggests the remote and pristine Rocky Mountains may be the ultimate hiding place to avoid becoming the "walking dead."