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Marcus Storr Benedicte Gravrand, Opalesque Geneva:

Some German investors still hesitate when it comes to investing in alternative investments, because such investments are perceived as risky. Participants at the recent Opalesque Germany Roundtable talked about how institutional investors in Germany approach alternatives, and what could be done to change the negative perception, especially at a time when investors are looking to allocate out of fixed income.

Marcus Storr, head of the Hedge Funds / Alternative Department at Feri, a German asset manager with $27 billion of discretionary assets under management, advises his clients to look at different alternative strategies and go away from the normal risk premia in an asset class, i.e. credit, equities and long-only investing.

"So the advice goes towards diversification across risk premia, and risk premia is inherent in hedge funds," he continues. "So when we talk about risk, then risk is in some traditional asset classes, according to our judgment, higher than in alternatives."

Different approaches with regards to alternatives

Claus Hilpold, Managing Partner at Polaris Investment Advisory, a Swiss firm, says that institutional investors in Germany and in Switzerland take on different approaches with regards to alternative investments. Some, especially pension funds and insurance companies, see them as an alternative......................

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