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Bailey McCann, Opalesque New York:

Hedge funds have had a rough year, which may explain why managers at the Skybridge Alternatives Conference currently underway in Las Vegas, Nevada were a little more focused on the upcoming election than their next big idea. Skybridge's annual hedge fund confab brought together a roster of big names inside the industry and out, and many of them were focused on Donald Trump.

Skybridge founder Anthony Scaramucci recently announced he was getting behind the presumptive Republican nominee after previously backing Jeb Bush and the conference involved a hefty amount of fundraising work for the nominee. T. Boone Pickens, who spoke early in the first day on a panel with Sam Zell said that he was was falling inline behind Trump noting that he supported Trump's immigration policy and liked that he wasn't a politician.

"He's been a success personally. So you judge the tracker by his pelts," Pickens told reporters in a Q&A after his panel. Pickens and others at the event who have lined up behind Trump spent part of their time yesterday raising money from their peers.

Other speakers took a more traditional conference approach and used panels to discuss their views of the market and best investment ideas, while also acknowledging the rough period for hedge fund performance. "I question whether the hedge fund structure is the right structure for today," said Omega Advisors' Leon Cooperman. "I'm a stock picker and it......................

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