New Jersey To Invest in Hedge Funds of Funds

According to a due diligence memorandum presented to the New Jersey State Investment Council by director William Clark, NJ has a proposed $100 million investment in each of two Blackstone funds of funds strategies, Pacific Opportunities Strategy and an Emerging Markets Strategy to handle new hedge fund and private equity allocations.

The NJ pension system is also aiming at allocating a total of $625 million to two funds of hedge funds and three single-strategy managers, and a total of $325 million to four private equity funds, according to a due diligence memo penned by director William Clark to the system’s investment council.

Also in the investment proposal, NJ is looking to make a $150 million commitment to a fund of funds to be managed by Protégé Partners, the New York-based firm currently manages $2.2 billion and invests in smaller, niche funds and also seeds managers. The pension system is also allocating $150 million to Farallon Capital Institutional Partners, a multi-strategy fund, and $50 million to Omega Overseas Partners Ltd Class B, a long/short equity fund.

New Jersey’s proposed direct investments in single-strategy managers include a $75 million commitment to the Ascend Partners Fund II, which is a 1.5x levered version of the firm’s fundamental equity long/short strategy.

In private equity, NJ is making a $100 million commitment to Avenue Special Situations Fund V and a $50 million commitment to KPS Special Situations Fund III. Both funds focus on U.S. stressed and distressed opportunities. Finally, a $100 million commitment is being made to MatlinPatterson Global Opportunities Partners, a global distressed fund, and a $75 million commitment to Thomas H. Lee Equity Partners VI, a growth-oriented buyout fund.