Hedge fund manager Paulson will own 9.9% of private health insurance company Conseco’s common stock after a private share sale, buying $77.9 million in stock and warrants.
Paulson & Co. Inc., on behalf of several hedge funds and accounts he manages will also have certain registration rights in connection with its acquisition of the common stock and warrants.
“This is a bold move,” said Andrew Schneider, founder and co-principal of HedgeCo Networks. “With the current healthcare debate in full swing, the timing is everything. But then, this is the kinds of risk we've come to expect from Paulson." Paulson made $2.5 billion last year, hedging against the U.S. housing market.
Paulson’s warrants will also convert to common stock at $6.50 a share. Conseco rose 78 cents, or 16%, to $5.77 at 7:47 p.m. in late New York trading. The shares have dropped about 68% in the past two years.
Conseco, run by Chief Executive Officer James Prieur, will also file for a public offering of $200 million in new common stock and will sell $293 million in convertible notes. The bond proceeds will be used to repurchase existing notes, the company said. The new debt, due in 2016, will pay investors 7%.
Paulson earned an estimated $2.5 billion last year, according to Institutional Investor’s Alpha Magazine. His Credit Opportunities Fund soared almost sixfold in 2007 on bets that subprime mortgages would plummet. Last year, his flagship fund returned 37 %, compared with a loss of 19% for hedge funds on average.
14 Oct 2009
Hedge Fund Manager Gets 7 Years
Hedge fund manager Michael C. Regan was sentenced in a federal court in Brooklyn, N.Y. to seven years in prison for fraud.
Just last June, Regan settled charges with the SEC on another of his hedge funds, Regan and Regan & Co., which the SEC alleged, he fraudulently obtained at least $15.9 million and ultimately caused investors to lose at least $6.69 million through Regan's misappropriation and trading losses. The settlement was closed without Regan admitting or denying the allegations.
When his hedge fund, River Stream Fund collapsed in April 2008 Regan turned himself in in May 2008 and pleaded guilty to one count of fraud the following month. He began the fund in 1998 with money from friends and acquaintances, according to the prosecution.
While Regan agreed to pay restitution, he filed for bankruptcy protection after turning himself in. The government said it is unlikely his victims will ever be compensated.
The SEC is also filing a civil suite. Regan could face additional criminal charges for failing to file tax returns for 10 years.
Just last June, Regan settled charges with the SEC on another of his hedge funds, Regan and Regan & Co., which the SEC alleged, he fraudulently obtained at least $15.9 million and ultimately caused investors to lose at least $6.69 million through Regan's misappropriation and trading losses. The settlement was closed without Regan admitting or denying the allegations.
When his hedge fund, River Stream Fund collapsed in April 2008 Regan turned himself in in May 2008 and pleaded guilty to one count of fraud the following month. He began the fund in 1998 with money from friends and acquaintances, according to the prosecution.
While Regan agreed to pay restitution, he filed for bankruptcy protection after turning himself in. The government said it is unlikely his victims will ever be compensated.
The SEC is also filing a civil suite. Regan could face additional criminal charges for failing to file tax returns for 10 years.
13 Oct 2009
Hedge Fund Manager's Email Scrutinised For Knowledge of Downturn
The jury selection has begun for the trial of two former Bear Stearns hedge fund managers, Matthew Tannin and Ralph Cioffi, over the alleged hedge fund securities and wire fraud.
Although the prosecution alleges that the hedge fund managers misled investors, they are not being charged with having contributed to the collapse of Bear Stearns. They could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Cioffi is charged with an additional count of insider trading for withdrawing $2m from one of the hedge funds.
Tannin's personal Email, which he used as a diary, is being used to prove that he was worried about a possible "blow up" and was under some stress. The evidence also alleges that he had trouble sleeping and was taking some anti-anxiety medication.
The trial is expected to last six weeks. Tannin and Cioffi have denied the charges.
Although the prosecution alleges that the hedge fund managers misled investors, they are not being charged with having contributed to the collapse of Bear Stearns. They could face up to 20 years in prison if convicted. Cioffi is charged with an additional count of insider trading for withdrawing $2m from one of the hedge funds.
Tannin's personal Email, which he used as a diary, is being used to prove that he was worried about a possible "blow up" and was under some stress. The evidence also alleges that he had trouble sleeping and was taking some anti-anxiety medication.
The trial is expected to last six weeks. Tannin and Cioffi have denied the charges.
Hedge Fund Group Fortress Announces Pricing of RailAmerica, Inc. IPO
Fortress Investment Group LLC announced that RailAmerica, Inc.'s initial public offering of 10,500,000 primary shares of common stock, as well as the offering of 11,500,000 secondary shares of common stock of RailAmerica, Inc. by RR Acquisition Holding LLC, an entity wholly-owned by certain private equity funds managed by an affiliate of Fortress Investment Group LLC.
The shares were priced at $15 per share. Fortress funds acquired the company in February 2007 and will continue to own approximately 55.8% of RailAmerica after the closing of the offering.
In connection with the offering, RailAmerica, Inc. granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 1,575,000 additional shares of common stock, and RR Acquisition Holding LLC granted the underwriters the option to purchase up to 1,725,000 additional shares of common stock, to cover over-allotments, if any.
The shares will begin trading on October 13, 2009 on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "RA." The offering is expected to close on October 16, 2009.
The shares were priced at $15 per share. Fortress funds acquired the company in February 2007 and will continue to own approximately 55.8% of RailAmerica after the closing of the offering.
In connection with the offering, RailAmerica, Inc. granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to 1,575,000 additional shares of common stock, and RR Acquisition Holding LLC granted the underwriters the option to purchase up to 1,725,000 additional shares of common stock, to cover over-allotments, if any.
The shares will begin trading on October 13, 2009 on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "RA." The offering is expected to close on October 16, 2009.
12 Oct 2009
Gulfmena Arab Opportunities Hedge Fund Launch
Gulfmena Investments Limited has launched the first directional absolute return hedge fund focusing specifically on the MENA equity markets to be managed by a GCC based and DFSA regulated asset management business.
The asset manager of the fund, Gulfmena Alternative Investments Limited, was granted a license by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) to operate as a DIFC asset management company in August 2009 and is headed by CEO and Fund Manager, Haissam Arabi. Arabi is one of the region’s most respected and prominent fund managers having managed SHUAA Capital’s Arab Gateway Fund from March 2001 to June 2008 and headed its asset management division.
“Today, investor appetite is returning gradually as we can see from recent markets performance, but while everyone would like to take advantage of the recovery story and existing price distortions in the short term, investors remain somewhat sceptical over long term prospects. Therefore risk aversion and liquidity remain high priorities when making investment decisions at least until risk appetite returns and when investors will demand higher risk and relative value type products. This is why a debut flagship fund today should be a conservative hedge fund product, which is absolute return, unconstrained, multi faceted that is designed for both today and tomorrow’s MENA markets. We believe it is the ideal product at the ideal time with the ideal strategy.” commented Haissam Arabi, CEO and fund manager of Gulfmena Alternative Investments Limited.
The fund will adhere to stringent risk management and portfolio construction parameters such as stops and rolling stops in addition to an overlay hedge strategy that is designed to minimise volatility aiming at preserving investment capital during all market conditions. This is particularly important to professional investors during the early days of a market recovery when visibility is still not clear and there remains little appetite for risk. The fund will target annual returns in excess of 15% while it aims not to exceed an annual volatility of 7%. The fund will also observe strict liquidity criteria and capacity over-ride rules which are built into the strategy to ensure high liquidity levels that allow it to be open-ended and to offer weekly liquidity, unique to most hedge funds.
The fund’s operator and sponsor is Gulfmena Investments Limited (Cayman Islands). The Gulfmena Arab Opportunities Fund Limited will be registered as a regulated mutual fund with the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority and is managed by Gulfmena Alternative Investments Limited, a DIFC based MENA specialist asset management company that is regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA).
The asset manager of the fund, Gulfmena Alternative Investments Limited, was granted a license by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) to operate as a DIFC asset management company in August 2009 and is headed by CEO and Fund Manager, Haissam Arabi. Arabi is one of the region’s most respected and prominent fund managers having managed SHUAA Capital’s Arab Gateway Fund from March 2001 to June 2008 and headed its asset management division.
“Today, investor appetite is returning gradually as we can see from recent markets performance, but while everyone would like to take advantage of the recovery story and existing price distortions in the short term, investors remain somewhat sceptical over long term prospects. Therefore risk aversion and liquidity remain high priorities when making investment decisions at least until risk appetite returns and when investors will demand higher risk and relative value type products. This is why a debut flagship fund today should be a conservative hedge fund product, which is absolute return, unconstrained, multi faceted that is designed for both today and tomorrow’s MENA markets. We believe it is the ideal product at the ideal time with the ideal strategy.” commented Haissam Arabi, CEO and fund manager of Gulfmena Alternative Investments Limited.
The fund will adhere to stringent risk management and portfolio construction parameters such as stops and rolling stops in addition to an overlay hedge strategy that is designed to minimise volatility aiming at preserving investment capital during all market conditions. This is particularly important to professional investors during the early days of a market recovery when visibility is still not clear and there remains little appetite for risk. The fund will target annual returns in excess of 15% while it aims not to exceed an annual volatility of 7%. The fund will also observe strict liquidity criteria and capacity over-ride rules which are built into the strategy to ensure high liquidity levels that allow it to be open-ended and to offer weekly liquidity, unique to most hedge funds.
The fund’s operator and sponsor is Gulfmena Investments Limited (Cayman Islands). The Gulfmena Arab Opportunities Fund Limited will be registered as a regulated mutual fund with the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority and is managed by Gulfmena Alternative Investments Limited, a DIFC based MENA specialist asset management company that is regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA).
9 Oct 2009
Hedge Funds Up In September Despite 3Q Risks
Despite rich equity market multiples and uncertainty surrounding the upcoming 3rd quarter earnings reports, Hennessee Group said that hedge fund investors continued to pile into stocks due to an uptick in merger activity during September.
The Hennessee Long/Short Equity Index gained +3.13% in September (+18.75% YTD), while the S&P 500 index finished September up +3.6%, faring much better than the average loss of -1.2% the S&P has historically posted during the month of September dating back to 1929.
Hedge funds have also taken on additional directional risk in order to participate in the ongoing equity market rally and Hennessee believes they remain cautious and aware that the market could turn sharply to the downside.
“Little of the bail out money given to banks seems to have been passed on to businesses or consumers. It must have gone somewhere, and it is possible that is has gone to the proprietary desks of the banks, which are putting it to work in the markets,” Charles Gradante Co-Founder of Hennessee Group, said. “That could lead to a potential problem if the public and institutions do not join the rally, and the banks eventually have to sell equities into a vacuum.”
“The current debate among hedge fund managers is ‘Deflation versus Inflation’,” Gradante said, “The weak dollar and deficits are inflationary, but the 30 year treasury below 4% (80 bps over the 10 year) points to deflation expectations. Hennessee research is noticing a growing propensity of hedge funds to short 20 and 30 year treasuries as yields break 4%. The U.S. Treasury is currently funding its long term debt with 3 to 10 year Treasuries. The need to finance America ’s debt on the long end of the curve with attractive yields is increasingly obvious.”
The Hennessee Long/Short Equity Index gained +3.13% in September (+18.75% YTD), while the S&P 500 index finished September up +3.6%, faring much better than the average loss of -1.2% the S&P has historically posted during the month of September dating back to 1929.
Hedge funds have also taken on additional directional risk in order to participate in the ongoing equity market rally and Hennessee believes they remain cautious and aware that the market could turn sharply to the downside.
“Little of the bail out money given to banks seems to have been passed on to businesses or consumers. It must have gone somewhere, and it is possible that is has gone to the proprietary desks of the banks, which are putting it to work in the markets,” Charles Gradante Co-Founder of Hennessee Group, said. “That could lead to a potential problem if the public and institutions do not join the rally, and the banks eventually have to sell equities into a vacuum.”
“The current debate among hedge fund managers is ‘Deflation versus Inflation’,” Gradante said, “The weak dollar and deficits are inflationary, but the 30 year treasury below 4% (80 bps over the 10 year) points to deflation expectations. Hennessee research is noticing a growing propensity of hedge funds to short 20 and 30 year treasuries as yields break 4%. The U.S. Treasury is currently funding its long term debt with 3 to 10 year Treasuries. The need to finance America ’s debt on the long end of the curve with attractive yields is increasingly obvious.”
European Hedge Fund Galas Raise Over $500.000
HedgeCo Archives - More than 250 hedge-fund industry leaders gathered together to raise nearly £250,000 ($400,000) at the 100 Women in Hedge Funds 2009 London Charity Gala, held yesterday evening in the UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s magnificent Locarno Suite. All proceeds from the event went to SHINE, the UK Support and Help in Education charity.
This follows a spectacular event on 29th September attended by 250 guests from the hedge fund industry in Geneva and beyond in an 18th century mansion overlooking the lake of Geneva, where the 100 Women in Hedge Funds 2009 Geneva Charity Gala raised SFr135,000 ($130,000) for local education charity Association Païdos.
The combined sum of £332,000 ($533,000) raised for these two charities will make a material difference to their work. In the case of SHINE it should be sufficient to fund for an entire year two new SHINE on Saturday programmes, for which there is a queue of eligible, eager participants. For Païdos, it will be able to more than double the number of children accepted onto its "Getting Back into Learning" classroom project.
Sarah Brown, wife of the UK Prime Minister, and a SHINE Patron, said, "Hundreds of young people will benefit from your generosity. For example, children with special educational needs will receive specialised individual tuition to help develop their reading, writing and math skills. For children who are disengaged or simply underachieving, SHINE’s Saturday programmes enrich the school curriculum, making learning fresh, new and exciting. Other SHINE-funded programmes stretch bright teenagers from low income families, to encourage them to raise their horizons and redouble their efforts."
Each year the Association honours an individual in Europe whose achievements are an extraordinary example of success in the hedge fund industry. In 2009, 100 Women in Hedge Funds awarded its European Industry Leadership Award to Mina Gerowin, Managing Director of Paulson Europe and a Partner of Paulson & Co.
"Mina is an exemplary leader at Paulson and in our industry at large," said Effie Datson, Chair of the Board of 100 Women in Hedge Funds. "We are honouring her in recognition of her professional talent, business ethics and demonstration of the kind of passion and dedication that define the hedge fund industry’s standard of excellence."
Ms. Gerowin specializes in European merger and event-driven investment, including directing European activist positions, distressed and restructuring investment and risk arbitrage of both debt and equity. At Paulson, she has led investments such as Stork and Ahold and runs some of the largest positions in their book. As evidence of how highly esteemed she is by her Paulson colleagues, many joined in honouring her at the Gala.
As this year’s theme for 100 Women in Hedge Funds philanthropic efforts globally is education, next month 100 Women in Hedge Funds will be hosting a New York City Gala on November 18th in aid of Computers for Youth.
This follows a spectacular event on 29th September attended by 250 guests from the hedge fund industry in Geneva and beyond in an 18th century mansion overlooking the lake of Geneva, where the 100 Women in Hedge Funds 2009 Geneva Charity Gala raised SFr135,000 ($130,000) for local education charity Association Païdos.
The combined sum of £332,000 ($533,000) raised for these two charities will make a material difference to their work. In the case of SHINE it should be sufficient to fund for an entire year two new SHINE on Saturday programmes, for which there is a queue of eligible, eager participants. For Païdos, it will be able to more than double the number of children accepted onto its "Getting Back into Learning" classroom project.
Sarah Brown, wife of the UK Prime Minister, and a SHINE Patron, said, "Hundreds of young people will benefit from your generosity. For example, children with special educational needs will receive specialised individual tuition to help develop their reading, writing and math skills. For children who are disengaged or simply underachieving, SHINE’s Saturday programmes enrich the school curriculum, making learning fresh, new and exciting. Other SHINE-funded programmes stretch bright teenagers from low income families, to encourage them to raise their horizons and redouble their efforts."
Each year the Association honours an individual in Europe whose achievements are an extraordinary example of success in the hedge fund industry. In 2009, 100 Women in Hedge Funds awarded its European Industry Leadership Award to Mina Gerowin, Managing Director of Paulson Europe and a Partner of Paulson & Co.
"Mina is an exemplary leader at Paulson and in our industry at large," said Effie Datson, Chair of the Board of 100 Women in Hedge Funds. "We are honouring her in recognition of her professional talent, business ethics and demonstration of the kind of passion and dedication that define the hedge fund industry’s standard of excellence."
Ms. Gerowin specializes in European merger and event-driven investment, including directing European activist positions, distressed and restructuring investment and risk arbitrage of both debt and equity. At Paulson, she has led investments such as Stork and Ahold and runs some of the largest positions in their book. As evidence of how highly esteemed she is by her Paulson colleagues, many joined in honouring her at the Gala.
As this year’s theme for 100 Women in Hedge Funds philanthropic efforts globally is education, next month 100 Women in Hedge Funds will be hosting a New York City Gala on November 18th in aid of Computers for Youth.
Credit Suisse/Tremont Hedge Fund Index Estimated to Finish Up +2.67% in September
HedgeCo Archive - Early estimates indicate the Credit Suisse/Tremont Hedge Fund Index (“Broad Index”) will finish up +2.67% in September (based on 65% of assets reporting).
Long/Short Equity and Emerging Markets managers experienced another positive month driven by equity market gains in September. At the end of the best quarter since 1998 for the Dow Jones Index, which had a gain of nearly 15%, market sentiment was bolstered by several positive macro indicators, such as an increase in the Global Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) that signaled expanding manufacturing output and pointed to a continuing stabilization of global economic activity. Inflation continued its moderate downward trend in the U.S. and in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, while central banks overall maintained low interest rates in the face of a weak recovery. Many equity indices finished in positive territory, although there were some late market corrections following reports of worse-than-expected U.S. home sales.
A number of Global Macro quantitative managers had a positive month, driven by long currency trades in the Yen and Euro and decreased FX volatility. Yield curves did not move significantly and therefore front end positions had relatively little impact on performance.
Credit-oriented managers in the Fixed Income Arbitrage and Event Driven sectors had a positive month, with performance coming from mortgage-related bonds, corporate bonds (especially financials), swap spread trades (which have been normalization trades focusing on the narrowing in the spread between LIBOR rates vs. Treasuries) and opportunities in government bond auctions.
Managed Futures also had another positive month, giving the strategy its third positive month for the year, as many trend followers’ models gained traction. Equity Market Neutral managers were also up in September. The value factor contributed positively to performance while factors such as momentum detracted from performance.
Long/Short Equity and Emerging Markets managers experienced another positive month driven by equity market gains in September. At the end of the best quarter since 1998 for the Dow Jones Index, which had a gain of nearly 15%, market sentiment was bolstered by several positive macro indicators, such as an increase in the Global Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) that signaled expanding manufacturing output and pointed to a continuing stabilization of global economic activity. Inflation continued its moderate downward trend in the U.S. and in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, while central banks overall maintained low interest rates in the face of a weak recovery. Many equity indices finished in positive territory, although there were some late market corrections following reports of worse-than-expected U.S. home sales.
A number of Global Macro quantitative managers had a positive month, driven by long currency trades in the Yen and Euro and decreased FX volatility. Yield curves did not move significantly and therefore front end positions had relatively little impact on performance.
Credit-oriented managers in the Fixed Income Arbitrage and Event Driven sectors had a positive month, with performance coming from mortgage-related bonds, corporate bonds (especially financials), swap spread trades (which have been normalization trades focusing on the narrowing in the spread between LIBOR rates vs. Treasuries) and opportunities in government bond auctions.
Managed Futures also had another positive month, giving the strategy its third positive month for the year, as many trend followers’ models gained traction. Equity Market Neutral managers were also up in September. The value factor contributed positively to performance while factors such as momentum detracted from performance.
8 Oct 2009
Preview of Brighton House Q3 Hedge Fund Research Report
The upcoming BHA Q3 report indicates that throughout the third quarter, over 37 percent of investors profiled cited a specific interest in event-driven hedge funds, primarily in the merger arbitrage and distressed fixed income areas.
During the third quarter, BHA noted a 20% increase in investors actively evaluating with the intention to invest in fund of hedge funds relative to Q2.
During the third quarter, BHA found that of those investors actively investing in private equity 18% were wealth advisors, 13% were government pension funds, and 15% were family offices and insurance companies. Nearly 50% of the private equity investors that were interviewed indicated that they were looking to speak with new venture capital managers.
The full report is due to be released on October 20th, 2009.
During the third quarter, BHA noted a 20% increase in investors actively evaluating with the intention to invest in fund of hedge funds relative to Q2.
During the third quarter, BHA found that of those investors actively investing in private equity 18% were wealth advisors, 13% were government pension funds, and 15% were family offices and insurance companies. Nearly 50% of the private equity investors that were interviewed indicated that they were looking to speak with new venture capital managers.
The full report is due to be released on October 20th, 2009.
Capstone Charity Event Raised Over $150,000
Capstone Global Markets First Annual Charity Day, with participation of the New Jersey Nets, was a success, raising over $150,000 for The Jasper Against Batten Fund.
Pictured from left: New Jersey Nets President Rod Thorn, CEO and Chief Risk Officer of Capstone Holdings Group L.L.C. Paul Britton, and New Jersey Nets General Manager Kiki Vandeweghe.
On October 1st, The First Annual Capstone Global Markets Charity Day supported research focused on finding a cure to Batten Disease, a rare but fatal neurodegenerative disorder affecting children. The boutique derivatives broker dealer donated 100% of its net commissions, for a total of $155,000, to The Jasper Against Batten Fund. This is the largest donation that the charitable organization has ever received. Jasper Duinstra is a 4-year old boy who was diagnosed with Batten Disease in March 2009, and has subsequently been experiencing seizures, deteriorating vision, limited vocabulary and paralysis in his legs.
Representatives of the New Jersey Nets who participated in the event included President Rod Thorn, General Manager (and former New York Knicks player) Kiki Vandeweghe, the New Jersey Nets dance team and the New Jersey Nets mascot.
Each was involved in thanking clients for their business and discussing the importance of the cause. The newly created annual event is part of the commitment from Capstone Global Markets to give back to the global community regardless of the macro financial environment. Every year, Capstone Global Markets will select specific charities to donate to, each with the common goal of helping children.
7 Oct 2009
Charles Schwab and Hedge Fund Founder Ken Fisher Recipients of Tiburon's Inaugural CEO Summit Awards
HedgeCo Archives - "Never yet done" practices - rather than 'best practices' - hold the key to break-out performance in the asset management industry, Ken Fisher, Founder and CEO of Fisher Investments, said in remarks prepared for more than 120 leading industry executives at Tiburon Strategic Advisors' CEO Summit XVII on October 7 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in San Francisco.
Fisher will be honored along with Charles Schwab as recipients of Tiburon's Inaugural CEO Summit Awards, recognizing their contributions to "Focusing on Customer Needs" and "Challenging Conventional Wisdom."
"So-called 'best practices' aren't," Mr. Fisher said in his prepared remarks. "They are a fine way for a D-quality firm to become a B-quality firm. But in asset management, to become an A-quality firm you have to ban 'best practices' from your lexicon, think more in terms of innovation and challenging conventional wisdom by establishing practices that have never been done before."
Fisher is also the author of three New York Times best-sellers, including his current best-seller "How to Smell a Rat: The Five Signs of Financial Fraud" (Wiley, August 2009). For the past 25 years, he has also written Forbes' "Portfolio Strategy" column, making him the fourth longest-running columnist in the magazine's history.
Fisher will be honored along with Charles Schwab as recipients of Tiburon's Inaugural CEO Summit Awards, recognizing their contributions to "Focusing on Customer Needs" and "Challenging Conventional Wisdom."
"So-called 'best practices' aren't," Mr. Fisher said in his prepared remarks. "They are a fine way for a D-quality firm to become a B-quality firm. But in asset management, to become an A-quality firm you have to ban 'best practices' from your lexicon, think more in terms of innovation and challenging conventional wisdom by establishing practices that have never been done before."
Fisher is also the author of three New York Times best-sellers, including his current best-seller "How to Smell a Rat: The Five Signs of Financial Fraud" (Wiley, August 2009). For the past 25 years, he has also written Forbes' "Portfolio Strategy" column, making him the fourth longest-running columnist in the magazine's history.
6 Oct 2009
People Moves: Ms. Sandra Urie Appointed to 100 Women In Hedge Fund's Board
HedgeCo Archives - Ms. Sandra A. Urie has beein appointed to the board of 100 Women In Hedge Funds, further augmenting the organization’s network. Ms. Urie is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Cambridge Associates LLC, a global provider of independent investment advice and research to institutional investors and private clients.
Ms. Urie has held various positions at Cambridge Associates since 1985 and, before assuming the role as CEO, she served as the Chief Operating Officer and was responsible for directing the firm’s consulting practice. She is a member and vice-chair of the Investors’ Committee of the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets, which has worked to develop detailed guidelines that would define "best practices" for investors in private pools of capital in order to enhance investor protection and systemic risk safeguards. She currently serves on the Board of Advisors for the Yale School of Management, the Board of Overseers of the DeCordova Museum, and the Board of Visitors of the New England Baptist Hospital. In addition, she sits on the boards of The Plymouth Rock Company and Homesite Group Incorporated. She formerly served on the boards of Phillips Academy, Belmont Day School and Buckingham, Browne & Nichols School.
Before joining Cambridge Associates, Ms. Urie worked as a member of the faculty at Phillips Academy (Andover), where she taught Russian and served on the Admissions Office staff. She also served in the Phillips Academy development office where she was responsible for capital fund raising, and eventually she assumed the position of Associate Secretary of the Academy with responsibility for the school’s annual giving and alumni programs.
Anne Popkin, Chair of the Board of 100 Women in Hedge Funds and Principal, BlueCrest Capital, said, "We are pleased to welcome such a well-respected industry leader to our Board. We believe Sandra’s investment advisory experience coupled with her involvement in initiatives such as the President’s Working Group help us continue to represent, strengthen, and expand our investor member base."
Ms. Urie said, "I look forward to working with the Board to strengthen 100 Women in Hedge Funds’ initiatives on member education, professional development, and philanthropy."
Ms. Urie graduated from Stanford University and received a Master of Public and Private Management graduate degree from the Yale School of Organization and Management. Additionally, she holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Ms. Urie has held various positions at Cambridge Associates since 1985 and, before assuming the role as CEO, she served as the Chief Operating Officer and was responsible for directing the firm’s consulting practice. She is a member and vice-chair of the Investors’ Committee of the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets, which has worked to develop detailed guidelines that would define "best practices" for investors in private pools of capital in order to enhance investor protection and systemic risk safeguards. She currently serves on the Board of Advisors for the Yale School of Management, the Board of Overseers of the DeCordova Museum, and the Board of Visitors of the New England Baptist Hospital. In addition, she sits on the boards of The Plymouth Rock Company and Homesite Group Incorporated. She formerly served on the boards of Phillips Academy, Belmont Day School and Buckingham, Browne & Nichols School.
Before joining Cambridge Associates, Ms. Urie worked as a member of the faculty at Phillips Academy (Andover), where she taught Russian and served on the Admissions Office staff. She also served in the Phillips Academy development office where she was responsible for capital fund raising, and eventually she assumed the position of Associate Secretary of the Academy with responsibility for the school’s annual giving and alumni programs.
Anne Popkin, Chair of the Board of 100 Women in Hedge Funds and Principal, BlueCrest Capital, said, "We are pleased to welcome such a well-respected industry leader to our Board. We believe Sandra’s investment advisory experience coupled with her involvement in initiatives such as the President’s Working Group help us continue to represent, strengthen, and expand our investor member base."
Ms. Urie said, "I look forward to working with the Board to strengthen 100 Women in Hedge Funds’ initiatives on member education, professional development, and philanthropy."
Ms. Urie graduated from Stanford University and received a Master of Public and Private Management graduate degree from the Yale School of Organization and Management. Additionally, she holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
FRM Seeds Asia Focused Hedge Fund
HedgeCo Archive - Global fund of hedge funds group, Financial Risk Management and its seeding arm, (FCA), has entered into a strategic relationship with an Asian hedge fund expected to launch at the beginning of December with between $50 and $75 million in assets under management.
The FoHF group will make a significant investment in the first fund to be launched by Isometric Capital Management, owned and managed by Sanjiv Bhatia, the former head of Deephaven Capital Management's Asia office. The fund is
The fund will use a fundamental research strategy to identify investment opportunities in Asian companies where it can identify a catalyst which will drive investment returns. The fund will invest predominantly in equities although positions will range across the capital structure.
"This deal reinforces the global nature of FCA's business and is the first investment we have made outside of the US and Europe." Neil Mason, CIO, FCA says, "Asia is an important focus in our manager research. Asian economies have shown their strength and there are numerous market inefficiencies that hedge funds can profit from. The industry has grown significantly in recent years and there are a number of high quality managers with interesting investment strategies.
Isometric is the third seeding deal announced by FCA in the past four months having previously agreed strategic relationships with JD Capital and WestSpring Advisors.
The FoHF group will make a significant investment in the first fund to be launched by Isometric Capital Management, owned and managed by Sanjiv Bhatia, the former head of Deephaven Capital Management's Asia office. The fund is
The fund will use a fundamental research strategy to identify investment opportunities in Asian companies where it can identify a catalyst which will drive investment returns. The fund will invest predominantly in equities although positions will range across the capital structure.
"This deal reinforces the global nature of FCA's business and is the first investment we have made outside of the US and Europe." Neil Mason, CIO, FCA says, "Asia is an important focus in our manager research. Asian economies have shown their strength and there are numerous market inefficiencies that hedge funds can profit from. The industry has grown significantly in recent years and there are a number of high quality managers with interesting investment strategies.
Isometric is the third seeding deal announced by FCA in the past four months having previously agreed strategic relationships with JD Capital and WestSpring Advisors.
5 Oct 2009
Fueling Growth: Outsourcing Solutions for Hedge Funds
HedgeCo Archive - A new whitepaper published by Pershing LLC, a BNY Mellon company, and Aite Group LLC examines critical hedge fund operations, entitled, Fueling Growth: Outsourcing Solutions for Hedge Funds, reports that an increase in client redemption requests is threatening the viability of even the most well-managed hedge funds.
Key findings from the whitepaper include:
* Choosing the Proper Outsourcing Model
* Smaller Hedge Funds Challenged by Resource Restrictions
* The Role of the Prime Broker
* Consider Disaster and Recovery Planning in Vendor Selection
"It is important for hedge funds to develop a thoughtful, long-term outsourcing strategy to ensure that its needs for support during various stages of the fund's lifecycle are closely aligned with its goals and objectives to serve investors well." Craig Messinger, managing director of Pershing Prime Services, said, "Employing this type of approach will enable hedge fund managers to focus on generating profitable returns for their clients and help them grow their businesses in a more productive manner."
To help hedge fund managers better understand business continuity and disaster recovery planning processes and principles, Pershing Prime Services, in collaboration with Eze Castle Integration and its colleagues across BNY Mellon, has developed a guidebook entitled, Establishing Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plans: A Hedge Fund Manager's Guide.
Key findings from the whitepaper include:
* Choosing the Proper Outsourcing Model
* Smaller Hedge Funds Challenged by Resource Restrictions
* The Role of the Prime Broker
* Consider Disaster and Recovery Planning in Vendor Selection
"It is important for hedge funds to develop a thoughtful, long-term outsourcing strategy to ensure that its needs for support during various stages of the fund's lifecycle are closely aligned with its goals and objectives to serve investors well." Craig Messinger, managing director of Pershing Prime Services, said, "Employing this type of approach will enable hedge fund managers to focus on generating profitable returns for their clients and help them grow their businesses in a more productive manner."
To help hedge fund managers better understand business continuity and disaster recovery planning processes and principles, Pershing Prime Services, in collaboration with Eze Castle Integration and its colleagues across BNY Mellon, has developed a guidebook entitled, Establishing Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plans: A Hedge Fund Manager's Guide.
Global Hedge Fund AUM Slip In First Half of 2009
HedgeCo Archive - There has been a continuing decline in global hedge fund industry AUM during the first half of 2009, slipping a further 8.5% during the first half of 2009 to reach a total figure of $1.67 trillion by July, according to the latest research conducted by HedgeFund Intelligence (HFI).
From a peak figure of almost $2.7 trillion reached during the first half of 2008, global hedge fund assets have now fallen by some 38%.
In the first half of this year, however, performance was generally robust, with a median return from hedge funds globally of over 5%. This implies that net redemptions from hedge funds were continuing at a fairly rapid rate between January and June – with as much as 15% of investor money being pulled from the industry during the first half, and the further overall decline only partially offset by positive performance.
Neil Wilson, editorial director at HedgeFund Intelligence, said “Following a period of strong performance during the third quarter and plenty of anecdotal evidence that the majority of funds have begun to see net inflows again, we would not be surprised to see industry assets rise from the midyear levels by at least 10% before the end of
2009.”
During the first half, the number of firms that run hedge fund assets of $1 billion or more went down from 395 in the first half of 2008 to 311 at the beginning of 2009 and now to 291 at the mid-year point. The combined assets of these ‘billion dollar club’ firms also shrank further – from $1.46 trillion in January to $1.37 trillion by July.
New York remains by some distance the top global centre for hedge funds. Though New York’s total number of billion dollar firms slipped a little, from 123 to 118, during the first half, its share of assets remained almost unchanged at nearly 47%.
London is still comfortably the second biggest centre, but its number of billion dollar firms dropped more steeply in the first half – from 65 to 55, as several UK-based firms slipped below the $1 billion mark. London’s share of the global billion dollar club’s total assets thus slipped from over 17% to under 15%.
Connecticut is still in third place, with a share of assets slightly up at nearly 10.5%. The figures for other global hedge fund centres were largely unchanged, with centres on the increase this year including Hong Kong and Singapore.
From a peak figure of almost $2.7 trillion reached during the first half of 2008, global hedge fund assets have now fallen by some 38%.
In the first half of this year, however, performance was generally robust, with a median return from hedge funds globally of over 5%. This implies that net redemptions from hedge funds were continuing at a fairly rapid rate between January and June – with as much as 15% of investor money being pulled from the industry during the first half, and the further overall decline only partially offset by positive performance.
Neil Wilson, editorial director at HedgeFund Intelligence, said “Following a period of strong performance during the third quarter and plenty of anecdotal evidence that the majority of funds have begun to see net inflows again, we would not be surprised to see industry assets rise from the midyear levels by at least 10% before the end of
2009.”
During the first half, the number of firms that run hedge fund assets of $1 billion or more went down from 395 in the first half of 2008 to 311 at the beginning of 2009 and now to 291 at the mid-year point. The combined assets of these ‘billion dollar club’ firms also shrank further – from $1.46 trillion in January to $1.37 trillion by July.
New York remains by some distance the top global centre for hedge funds. Though New York’s total number of billion dollar firms slipped a little, from 123 to 118, during the first half, its share of assets remained almost unchanged at nearly 47%.
London is still comfortably the second biggest centre, but its number of billion dollar firms dropped more steeply in the first half – from 65 to 55, as several UK-based firms slipped below the $1 billion mark. London’s share of the global billion dollar club’s total assets thus slipped from over 17% to under 15%.
Connecticut is still in third place, with a share of assets slightly up at nearly 10.5%. The figures for other global hedge fund centres were largely unchanged, with centres on the increase this year including Hong Kong and Singapore.
2 Oct 2009
Offshore Law Update: BVI Upgrades Annual Fund Returns Procedure
HedgeCo Archive - The British Virgin Islands Financial Services Commission this week announced a new electronic reporting system for filing annual fund returns, in a move which will facilitate its regulation and monitoring of the British Virgin Islands (“BVI”) funds industry while providing a significantly more efficient and secure environment for filing annual returns.
The new electronic reporting system supports submissions by segregated portfolio companies as well umbrella structures with improved formatting and the ability to save entries for later submission. The information obtained from the filing is consolidated and used for statistical purposes.
The deadline for filing is October 15, 2009 for the reporting period ending December 31, 2008, but any fund which has already submitted a hard copy of the return is not required to re-file. Rather, such funds may use the online application for the next reporting period ending December 31, 2009 whose filing deadline will be June 30, 2010.
Anyone requiring further information about the electronic filing system or annual returns which must be filed by BVI funds may contact Robert Briant, Managing Partner of Conyers Dill & Pearman’s BVI office.
The new electronic reporting system supports submissions by segregated portfolio companies as well umbrella structures with improved formatting and the ability to save entries for later submission. The information obtained from the filing is consolidated and used for statistical purposes.
The deadline for filing is October 15, 2009 for the reporting period ending December 31, 2008, but any fund which has already submitted a hard copy of the return is not required to re-file. Rather, such funds may use the online application for the next reporting period ending December 31, 2009 whose filing deadline will be June 30, 2010.
Anyone requiring further information about the electronic filing system or annual returns which must be filed by BVI funds may contact Robert Briant, Managing Partner of Conyers Dill & Pearman’s BVI office.
New Zealand Hedge Fund Partners Offshore Investors With Local Clean Tech Experts
HedgeCo Archive - A new hedge fund is offering to bridge the distance barrier between New Zealand and the rest of the world. Milestone Capital has established the Rutherford Innovation Fund to raise capital and back innovative companies which need financial assistance and business skills to commercialise their ideas on the international stage.
“The Rutherford Innovation Fund provides offshore investors with an experienced local co-investment partner to bridge the geographic gap to New Zealand as these companies are not on the radar of international investors,” Milestone Capital principal Kenji Steven says.
The Rutherford Innovation Fund sees the best opportunities for investment as being those that benefit from the massive changes being driven by the growth of Clean Tech – products, services and technologies that provide solutions to urgent global problems around energy, water, carbon and pollution.
The fund is named after Ernest Rutherford, the Kiwi who was the first person to split the atom and the father of modern nuclear physics. It’s a portfolio of private equity companies which include algae fuel manufacturer Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation, carbon sequestration firm Carbonscape and ‘top five’ international climate change website Celsias.
“The key limiting factor in New Zealand is capital. For private companies investment capital is scarce so there is attractive pricing and little competition for deals. The capital markets are also under-developed so approximately 80% of the top 200 New Zealand companies are private,” Steven says. The fund is targeting a capital raising of NZ$50 million over the next two years.
“The Rutherford Innovation Fund provides offshore investors with an experienced local co-investment partner to bridge the geographic gap to New Zealand as these companies are not on the radar of international investors,” Milestone Capital principal Kenji Steven says.
The Rutherford Innovation Fund sees the best opportunities for investment as being those that benefit from the massive changes being driven by the growth of Clean Tech – products, services and technologies that provide solutions to urgent global problems around energy, water, carbon and pollution.
The fund is named after Ernest Rutherford, the Kiwi who was the first person to split the atom and the father of modern nuclear physics. It’s a portfolio of private equity companies which include algae fuel manufacturer Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation, carbon sequestration firm Carbonscape and ‘top five’ international climate change website Celsias.
“The key limiting factor in New Zealand is capital. For private companies investment capital is scarce so there is attractive pricing and little competition for deals. The capital markets are also under-developed so approximately 80% of the top 200 New Zealand companies are private,” Steven says. The fund is targeting a capital raising of NZ$50 million over the next two years.
1 Oct 2009
Infiniti Capital's Hedge Fund Ranking Method
Hong Kong-based hedge funds of funds shop Infiniti Capital believes it has found a better way to quantitatively rank the risk adjusted returns of hedge funds than that used by traditional methods.
The new ranking method, called the Infiniti Single Fund Analysis (SFA) score, is included as a risk adjusted performance measure (RAPM) in Infiniti’s recently launched Infiniti Analytics Suite (IAS).
“We believe this method to be superior to most others in use." Infiniti chief investment officer and IAS project originator Peter Urbani says, "Infiniti Capital has been using this method for the past two years.”
The effectiveness of any such method, based purely on historical data, is in how well today’s ranking predicts what happens tomorrow or at some future out-of-sample period. In statistical speak this is known as the predictive power of the method.
The one major advantage of any quantitative method is that users can test its performance against all other known methods quickly and easily. In a recent study, the IAS development team did exactly that, comparing the performance of a portfolio built using the SFA total score as the objective to maximize versus three other widely used RAPMs.
This study showed that by using the SFA total score as an objective function, annual returns of up to 500 basis points (5%) per year higher than those using other traditional methods were achievable.
The database used was a common set of 36 hedge funds. Significantly, the returns achieved in 2008 were much higher than those for both the equally weighted portfolio and actual hedge fund of funds which generated average returns of -19% last year.
The ratio of the absolute realised risk adjusted returns, denoted as the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) over the absolute value of the peak to trough drawdown (downside risk), was also the best for the SFA portfolio.
“The predictive power of the SFA score comes from its innovative construction, proprietary weighting and ability to identify some of the non-linear effects common to hedge funds,” Urbani says.
Unlike traditional performance measures, the SFA score is both conditional on the time period being used and relative to a large reference data set of other hedge funds. Where other methods typically standardize everything back to a normal or Gaussian distribution, the IAS uses the best fitting distributions throughout. This has the effect of calibrating the range of scores more closely to real-world data.
Urbani stresses that the method is not perfect. “The SFA scores will not provide the best returns over each and every single time period, however, over any meaningful length of time they will tend to out-perform.”
He says, “We do not force people to use the SFA scores. This is a key point of differentiation between the IAS and other software packages. Just because we have a good idea doesn’t mean everyone should use it. That’s why this is an option in the IAS along with the ability to use just about any other known RAPM for optimisation purposes or to build your own.”
The new ranking method, called the Infiniti Single Fund Analysis (SFA) score, is included as a risk adjusted performance measure (RAPM) in Infiniti’s recently launched Infiniti Analytics Suite (IAS).
“We believe this method to be superior to most others in use." Infiniti chief investment officer and IAS project originator Peter Urbani says, "Infiniti Capital has been using this method for the past two years.”
The effectiveness of any such method, based purely on historical data, is in how well today’s ranking predicts what happens tomorrow or at some future out-of-sample period. In statistical speak this is known as the predictive power of the method.
The one major advantage of any quantitative method is that users can test its performance against all other known methods quickly and easily. In a recent study, the IAS development team did exactly that, comparing the performance of a portfolio built using the SFA total score as the objective to maximize versus three other widely used RAPMs.
This study showed that by using the SFA total score as an objective function, annual returns of up to 500 basis points (5%) per year higher than those using other traditional methods were achievable.
The database used was a common set of 36 hedge funds. Significantly, the returns achieved in 2008 were much higher than those for both the equally weighted portfolio and actual hedge fund of funds which generated average returns of -19% last year.
The ratio of the absolute realised risk adjusted returns, denoted as the Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) over the absolute value of the peak to trough drawdown (downside risk), was also the best for the SFA portfolio.
“The predictive power of the SFA score comes from its innovative construction, proprietary weighting and ability to identify some of the non-linear effects common to hedge funds,” Urbani says.
Unlike traditional performance measures, the SFA score is both conditional on the time period being used and relative to a large reference data set of other hedge funds. Where other methods typically standardize everything back to a normal or Gaussian distribution, the IAS uses the best fitting distributions throughout. This has the effect of calibrating the range of scores more closely to real-world data.
Urbani stresses that the method is not perfect. “The SFA scores will not provide the best returns over each and every single time period, however, over any meaningful length of time they will tend to out-perform.”
He says, “We do not force people to use the SFA scores. This is a key point of differentiation between the IAS and other software packages. Just because we have a good idea doesn’t mean everyone should use it. That’s why this is an option in the IAS along with the ability to use just about any other known RAPM for optimisation purposes or to build your own.”
Former President Bill Clinton Honors Alternative Investor LeapFrog
In the Closing Plenary of the Clinton Global Initiative 2009, former President Bill Clinton featured LeapFrog Investments, which raised the world's first microinsurance fund.
"LeapFrog's team is widely recognized as having opened up a new frontier in microfinance and alternative investment." The former President noted, "The fund has raised $44 million from both private and public investors, towards an ultimate target of $100 million."
Before an audience of 1000 global leaders, President Clinton drew a direct link between the work of Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus to bring microcredit to millions of people, the 'Banker to the Poor,' and the work of LeapFrog as the global leader in microinsurance: "LeapFrog is quickly becoming the 'Insurer to the Poor'. Just like Yunus, [LeapFrog] is the first out of the gate, the first microinsurance fund in the world."
"For those 25 million clients, LeapFrog means the ability to leap out of poverty permanently." Dr. Andrew Kuper, President and Founder of LeapFrog said. "For our portfolio companies, LeapFrog means leaping to the next stage of growth and impact. For our investors, LeapFrog does mean the next frontier of microfinance and alternative investment."
Pierre Omidyar, Founder of EBay, immediately concurred with a post on Twitter, saying that it was "Great to see LeapFrog . . . recognized by President Clinton for work in microinsurance." The Omidyar Network is a lead investor in the fund, together with the European Investment Bank, FMO, Triodos, and Accion International.
LeapFrog's fund is now developing investment opportunities in key emerging markets such as India, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Africa, Ghana, and Kenya.
"LeapFrog's team is widely recognized as having opened up a new frontier in microfinance and alternative investment." The former President noted, "The fund has raised $44 million from both private and public investors, towards an ultimate target of $100 million."
Before an audience of 1000 global leaders, President Clinton drew a direct link between the work of Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus to bring microcredit to millions of people, the 'Banker to the Poor,' and the work of LeapFrog as the global leader in microinsurance: "LeapFrog is quickly becoming the 'Insurer to the Poor'. Just like Yunus, [LeapFrog] is the first out of the gate, the first microinsurance fund in the world."
"For those 25 million clients, LeapFrog means the ability to leap out of poverty permanently." Dr. Andrew Kuper, President and Founder of LeapFrog said. "For our portfolio companies, LeapFrog means leaping to the next stage of growth and impact. For our investors, LeapFrog does mean the next frontier of microfinance and alternative investment."
Pierre Omidyar, Founder of EBay, immediately concurred with a post on Twitter, saying that it was "Great to see LeapFrog . . . recognized by President Clinton for work in microinsurance." The Omidyar Network is a lead investor in the fund, together with the European Investment Bank, FMO, Triodos, and Accion International.
LeapFrog's fund is now developing investment opportunities in key emerging markets such as India, Indonesia, the Philippines, South Africa, Ghana, and Kenya.
Hedge Fund Manager Launches Fixed Income Frontier Fund
In a move that shows that product innovation is still alive and well, Silk Invest, an asset management firm regulated by the FSA, has just announced the launch of its new UCITS Luxembourg domiciled fund.
Focused on frontier markets, the new fund will be named The Silk Road Income Fund. Silk Invest also has previously launched equities hedge funds African Lions and Arab Falcons.
"The Silk Road markets are under-represented in investor’s portfolios. The timing of our launch is perfect for investors as it enables them to take advantage of the re-pricing of risk in these markets.”Daniel Broby, Chief Investment Officer of Silk Invest, said, "Recent history shows that the collective Silk Route countries have consistently grown GDP faster than developed economies."
As part of the fund development, Silk Invest conducted a survey of fixed income securities across the target regions, covering over 4,100 bonds and $480bn in total debt volumes. From this list the firm was able to filter out the most lucrative and liquid target asset universe, using a combination of credit and market-oriented stress tests.
"We aim to manage 60-80 holdings across 25 countries in the fund and are currently showing portfolio yields of over 16.5% with duration of 3.4 years." John Bates, Head of Fixed Income at Silk Invest, said.
Baldwin Berges, Director of Business Development at Silk Invest, noted “Despite tough market conditions, we are seeing strong investor appetite for fixed income in these frontier regions as investors seek reliable returns from a diversified pool of assets. With Daniel Broby’s longstanding investment management track record, John Bates’ experience as a credit analyst and Patrick Landi’s experience in origination, we have put together a formidable team of people, all with hands-on experience in frontier markets”
Focused on frontier markets, the new fund will be named The Silk Road Income Fund. Silk Invest also has previously launched equities hedge funds African Lions and Arab Falcons.
"The Silk Road markets are under-represented in investor’s portfolios. The timing of our launch is perfect for investors as it enables them to take advantage of the re-pricing of risk in these markets.”Daniel Broby, Chief Investment Officer of Silk Invest, said, "Recent history shows that the collective Silk Route countries have consistently grown GDP faster than developed economies."
As part of the fund development, Silk Invest conducted a survey of fixed income securities across the target regions, covering over 4,100 bonds and $480bn in total debt volumes. From this list the firm was able to filter out the most lucrative and liquid target asset universe, using a combination of credit and market-oriented stress tests.
"We aim to manage 60-80 holdings across 25 countries in the fund and are currently showing portfolio yields of over 16.5% with duration of 3.4 years." John Bates, Head of Fixed Income at Silk Invest, said.
Baldwin Berges, Director of Business Development at Silk Invest, noted “Despite tough market conditions, we are seeing strong investor appetite for fixed income in these frontier regions as investors seek reliable returns from a diversified pool of assets. With Daniel Broby’s longstanding investment management track record, John Bates’ experience as a credit analyst and Patrick Landi’s experience in origination, we have put together a formidable team of people, all with hands-on experience in frontier markets”
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