Hedge Funds
With global hedge fund assets at roughly $3.45 trillion (and growing by double-digit percentages each year), money managers have a greater influence on public and private markets than ever before. DailyAlts covers every element of the hedge fund industry – from changing performance structures to manager strategies, from regulatory oversight to activist holdings, and from new fund launches to the liquidation of underperformers. This channel is your one-stop-shop for daily news and insights for the influential and topical hedge fund space.
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European investors, both retail and institutional, are showing a growing interest in hedge funds and alternative investment options, as indicated by recent findings from Cerulli Associates. In the UK, Italy, and Switzerland, there’s a notable preference for semi-liquid funds for private market investments, with 50% of UK wealth managers favoring this approach.
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More Stories on Hedge Funds
Hedge Funds: Quintessential Capital Takes Short Position in Akazooactivist hedge fund Quintessential Capital Management.
Activist hedge fund Quintessential Capital Management is shorting music streaming company Akazoo (NASDAQ: SONG). The news sent shares of SONG down more than 22% on Monday.
Hedge Funds: So… Elliott Management Sounds Pretty Bearish…
Hedge fund Elliott Management isn’t bullish on the U.S. economy as we approach the deepest downturn in 80 years. Paul Singer’s fund said Wednesday that global stocks could decline by as much as 50% from February highs. Reuters reports on a letter sent to clients. The fund called the sharp March decline in the market…
Hedge Fund: Jana Partners Strikes Deal with Bloomin’ Brands on Directors
Activist fund Jana Partners has struck a deal with Bloomin’ Brands (NASDAQ: BLMN) on board seats. The two firms agreed to add two new independent directors to the restaurant company’s board. Bloomin is best known as the owner of Outback Steakhouse. The activist fund, which owns 9% of BLMN, has been pushing for changes to the board due to falling sales at the company.
Hedge Funds: Four Portfolio Managers Leave Citadel
Volatility has shaken the markets. The Dow had its worst quarter in history. The U.S. economy could see GDP fall by 30% this quarter. And four portfolio managers at Citadel won’t be around to see what happens next.
Bloomberg reported that the hedge fund fired four portfolio managers last week. Chris Conner, Tio Charbaghi, Steve Bergman, and Chip Fortson are out, according to the report. The four all worked in Citadel’s Global Equities group. The timing coincided with the hiring of Justin Lubell, a Point72 alum, to take over that group.
Hedge Funds: Paul Tudor Jones Expects Stocks to Retest March Lows
Paul Tudor Jones said Wednesday that he expects that the market will push higher by June. However, he expects there to be a very volatile market come April.
In an interview with CNBC, the money manager said that things could get bumpy once we start to look at the real economic impact of coronavirus.
Hedge Funds: Bodenholm Capital to Shutter Its Doors
Bodenholm Capital, a large Swedish hedge fund with $511.2 million in AUM, is shutting its doors and returning money to its investors. A report indicates that the multi-strategy fund has struggled to perform in the ongoing coronavirus downturn. One of its core investors, Brummer & Partners, said on its website that Bodenhelm was shutting.
Hedge Funds: Did Bill Ackman Make $2.6 Billion on the Coronavirus Outbreak?
Hedge fund manager Bill Ackman says Pershing Square Capital earned $2.6 billion by betting that the coronavirus outbreak would pummel markets. The news comes a week after Ackman appeared on CNBC to tell Americans that “hell is coming” for the domestic market.
Hedge Funds: Third Point Facing Rough Start to 2020
While the main fund is down 13.5%, the listed shares that trade over the counter in the United States are currently down around 30% year to date as investors have adopted a risk-off position and sold shares aggressively. Since its inception in 1996, the fund has averaged 14.5%, making it one of the top-performing hedge funds over that period. Investors may be abandoning ship at the wrong time.
The stock is trading at 54% of book value right now. Given the collapse of global markets right now, the book value may be overstated a bit, but as of a week ago, the published Net Asset Value was $18.34 a share versus the current price of less than $12. Even if the fund has declined in line with the market return the shares are still trading at a substantial discount to the value of the stocks they own,
Hedge Funds: Seth Klarman Emerges to Open Baupost Group
Value investor Seth Klarman has emerged from his bearish slumber. The head of Baupost Group announced he had spent $1.5 billion on new investments in recent weeks. Bloomberg reports that Klarman sees significant value due to fears about coronavirus and valuations. The hedge fund manager also announced he is seeking more investor capital for his $29 billion fund.
Hedge Funds: Ricky Sandler is Buying Stocks Despite Coronavirus
Hedge fund manager Ricky Sandler said Monday that he is buying stocks while markets continue their historic selloff.
In an interview with CNBC, the head of Eminence Capital said that he believes that the market reaction has been too extreme.
Hedge Funds: Ray Dalio Shares Concerns About the Coronavirus, Compares Economy to 1930s Conditions
Hedge fund manager Ray Dalio wrote this week that he is very concerned about the state of the economy. The combination of coronavirus and zero interest rates “really worries” him, according to a note released today.
Hedge Funds: Carl Icahn Has Been Shorting Commercial Mortgage Bonds
Billionaire investor Carl Icahn told CNBC on Friday that he has been shorting the commercial bond market. The activist investor said that his short was his “biggest position by far” in an interview on Friday. Specifically, he is targeting corporate offices and shopping malls. Based on the recent downturn in the markets, he’s likely doing well for himself.
Icahn said he expects U.S. commercial real estate to pull back sharply as we saw with housing in 2008.
Hedge Funds: Coronavirus Hits Point72 Management
Coronavirus has hit one of Wall Street’s top financial shops. Multiple media outlets report that an employee at Point72’s Hudson Yard’s office has contracted Covid-19. The Wall Street Journal was the first to report the news, citing an internal email from the fund.
Hedge Funds: Bill Ackman Prepares Investors for Coronavirus
Pershing Square Capital founder Bill Ackman sent a letter to investors about the threat of coronavirus on Tuesday. His statement came shortly after the Federal Reserve slashed interest rates by 50 basis points.
Activist Manager Wants Jes Staley Off Barclays Board of Directors
Edward Bramson and his fund Sherborn Investors Management is waging a campaign to oust Jes Staley from the helm of Barclays (NYSE: BCS). According to reports, Sherborne is seeking his ouster due to Staley’s relationship with the deceased financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In a letter sent to shareholders, the firm urged the board to “rescind their unanimous recommendation to re-elect Staley” as a director at its next annual shareholder meeting.
Hedge Funds: Nikola Corp. Plans to Go Public with Reserve Merger
Electric vehicle manufacturer Nikola Corp. has plans to go public and merge with a publicly traded special purpose acquisition company. That SPAC is backed by hedge fund ValueAct and Fidelity. According to reports, the firm will engage in a reverse merger with VectoIQ Acquisition Corp. (NASDAQ: VTIQ). The new company will trade under the name Nikola Corp. and carry a valuation of $3.3 billion.
Hedge Funds: Activist Hedge Fund Elliott Management Targets Twitter
Twitter Inc (NYSE: TWTR), which owns the social media and tweeting platform so loved by President Trump, is under siege. Elliott Management, the feared activist hedge fund owned by billionaire Paul Singer, has accumulated a sizable stake in the company, led by Jack Dorsey.
Hedge Funds: Chris Hohn Looks to End Coal Production as We Know It
Hedge fund billionaire Chris Hohn has launched a platform aimed at reducing financing for coal-fired power plants. The ESG crusader wants central banks to effectively stop the financing of coal power plants that he deems a threat to the global climate.
Hedge Fund: Whitney Tilson Pumps Berkshire Hathaway as Top Retirement Stock
Former hedge fund manager Whitney Tilson has called Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE: BRK.A) the to retirement stock. Tilson, who now writes for Empire Financial Research, issued a note this week praising Warren Buffett’s firm as the “No. 1 Retirement Stock in America.”
Preqin: Hedge Fund AUM Hits All-Time High in 2019
Hedge fund assets under management (AUM) reached an all-time high for the industry by the end of 2019.
A new report by Preqin shows that assets reached $3.66 trillion thanks to strong performance offseting redemptions.
During the fourth quarter, Preqin says that outflows totaled $15.4 million. It was the seventh-straight quarter of outflows.
Activist Hedge Fund Looks to Shake Up Insurance Giant Prudential
Activist hedge fund Third Point has taken aim at the 172-year-old insurance giant Prudential (LON: PRU). According to a new filing, Dan Loeb’s shop wants to split the firm into two operations and shutter its British office. This would effectively end the country’s 18-decade presence in England.
Santander Asset Management Launches New Hedge Fund: Santander Patrimonio Diversificado.
Santander Asset Management announced it has launched a new hedge fund called Santander Patrimonio Diversificado.
Its portfolio will invest in fixed income, equities, and absolute return funds. It will also dabble in venture capital, private debt funds, and real estate
According to a press release, the fund will focus on the U.S., Europe, Japan, and emerging markets. It has also set a weight limit for diversification at 5%. The fund will also have a sustainable bias and will focus on aligning with the firm’s broader ESG goals.
Pierre Andurand and His Hedge Fund Struggle in January
Pierre Andurand and his hedge fund had a tough start to the year. Andurand Capital Management shed 8% last month due to the slump in oil-and-gas commodities, according to a report from the Financial Times. Last month, crude oil temporarily rallied after the U.S. and Iran appeared on a path toward war. However, once tensions died and concerns about coronavirus and global growth emerged, crude prices went in reverse.
Elliott Investment Management Takes Stake in NN Group
Elliott Investment Management has built a 3.04% stake in Dutch insurer NN Group (OTCMKTS: NNGRY), according to a filing with AFM this week. Paul Singer’s hedge fund said that the investment is a reflection that it believes “in the material and sustainable value-creation opportunity that exists at the company.” Under rules with the Dutch regulator, companies must file when they breach the 3% ownership level.