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Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia:

Hedge fund investors are looking to the asset class to offer asset protection as they anticipate an equity market downturn, said Preqin Investor Update.

The report on alternative assets during H2 2019, said that despite the underwhelming 12-month performance, hedge funds' downside risk protection makes them an important tool for investors.

Almost half of the investors think the asset class fell short of performance expectations over the past 12 months, but a notable 42% of respondents believe the industry's performance will improve in the year to come.

Almost three-quarters of investors now believe equity markets are at a peak, and many are looking to hedge funds to help provide diversity and downside protection.

In the next 12 months, 77% of investors are seeking to maintain or increase their exposure to the industry, and more than half of respondents plan to rebalance their portfolios more defensively. In this regard, relative value and macro strategies are sought by the greatest proportion of investors.

Samuel McKenzie, Hedge Fund Analyst at Preqin said: "Although investors are not particularly satisfied with the performance of their hedge fund portfolios over the last 12 months, they are looking to the asset class to help protect their assets in the months ahead. Expectations of an equity market downturn have risen by more than 10 percentage points in the past six months alone, and two-thirds of investors are rebalanci......................

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