Interviews

Aquila Capital’s Harold Heuschmidt (pictured) says the Risk Parity funds of which he is head manager use a multi-asset investment strategy that allocates risk across different asset classes offering a risk premium, namely equities, bonds, commodities and interest rates, with the contribution of each asset class risk-weighted to balance risk proportionately across the portfolio.

Paul Sloane, who researches and recommends global insurance and diversified financials stocks as co-manager of the Martin Currie Absolute Returns Fund - Global Financials, argues that the

Dino Fuschillo outlines how discipline of process, buy and sell decisions, and a focus on stock-picking are being using to generate resu

Angus Coupland discusses the investment discipline that drives the performance of the CC Asia Absolute Return Fund.

Bryce Markus, a managing principal at BlueMountain Capital Management, argues that many of the problems affecting credit markets, including the housing crisis, institutions' mistrust of th

Dino Fuschillo outlines the strategy and investment process that underpins the performance of Martin Currie's European-focused fund.

John Innes outlines the investment processes that are driving the consistent performance of the MPC Pilgrim Fund.

Michael Sonenshine outlines the thinking behind the New Europe Fund managed by MT Thaler, whose principals are based in London and Prague.

Barings' head of alternatives Paul Graham discusses the investment strategy that underpins the Baring Emerging Market Absolute Return Fund, which was launched in September.

Ramiz Hasan and Simon Donne outline Invicta Chikara Japan Fund's focus on delivering consistent returns with an equity long/short approach.<

Principal Tim Seymour outlines the investment thinking and processes that are driving Red Star's performance in Russia and Eastern Europe.

Bill Woodruff, founder, president and portfolio manager at Bandon Capital Management, says the firm’s directional interest rate strategy, offered through separately managed accoun

Merchant Capital directors Chris Day (pictured) and George Cadbury say the firm, which last year launched the first Dublin-domiciled Ucits umbrella fund created specifically for Ucits absolute return funds, is looking to launch up to 10 funds over the course of 2010 following the debut of the long/short Merchant European Equity Fund in January.

Julian Rogers-Coltman (pictured), chief executive of Fleming Family and Partners Capital Management, says the absolute return asset manager’s two surviving funds are well set to capitalise on the continuing market volatility, but he acknowledges that fundraising will remain difficult until fears of a double dip recession dissipate and it becomes clearer how weaker European countries can escape the sovereign debt trap.

Manager Richard Hodgetts says the newly-launched Collins Stewart Alternative Strategies Fund, a Ucits III fund of absolute return funds that draws on the firm’s extensive experience as a manager of funds of hedge funds, is set to capitalise on increasing interest in absolute return strategies as investor confidence returns.

Spike Hughes, chief executive of Insynergy Investment Management, says that building on the existing success of its initial retail fund run by Crispin Odey and new absolute return funds targeting India and China, the firm will seek out further world-class investment teams with proven strategies that can be adapted to a Ucits structure.

Ebullio Capital managing partner Lars Steffensen believes that as the world's economy tips downward again in the second leg of a W-sh

The Gartmore Global Equity Hedge Fund was launched on 1 March 2005 and is managed by Neil Rogan & Ben Walker.

James Hulse, fund manager of the newly-launched Cumulus Climate Fund, which seeks to profit from the financial impact of climate change, says post-Bali negotiations could dramatically spee

Ross Hollyman, Investment Director responsible for UK and European equity mandates at GAM, discusses the strategy that underpins the new GAM Star Absolute EuroSystematic fund.

Philip Hardy, manager of the Polar Capital UK Absolute Return Fund, says that after a savage bear market in UK equities in 2008 the outlook remains uncertain, and he expects continued h

Connective Capital Management portfolio manager Robert Romero says the Silicon Valley-based firm, which specialises in investing in the technology

Julien Stouff (pictured), head of the team managing Pictet Asset Management’s newly-launched Kronos Fund says the global long/short equity trading strategy, previously offered as a Luxembourg-domiciled Sicav-SIF and before that as a trading book, follows an investment approach in which quantitative stock selection, convexity positions – deep out-of-the money options – and active trading are intertwined…

Olivier Mollé (pictured) and Gilles Sitbon, who run the L/S Market Neutral and L/S Opportunities funds respectively at Paris-based Sycomore Asset Management, say both the long/short funds are seeing increased interest from investors seeking more uncorrelated returns for a greater portion of their assets under management, whether they are focusing on capital preservation or looking for equity market exposure with lower volatility.

Ezra Sun, manager of Veritas's Real Return Asia Fund, says that while Asia is set to suffer by proxy from the global economic slowdown, experiencing a reduction in domestic consumption and export g

Colin Stewart, portfolio manager with Canadian long/short manager JCClark, says the firm focuses on sectors and ideas that are not widely followed in which it can gain an informational adv

John-Paul Temperley, co-manager of the Martin Currie Absolute Return Japan Fund, says the Japanese stock market is currently in the middle of a tricky results season, as companies face ris

Mark Tinker, manager of the Axa Framlington Absolute Return Gemini Worldview fund, sees long-term growth opportunities in Asia both in the building of physical infrastructure and in the em

Bernard Lambilliotte, chief investment officer of specialist utilities and infrastructure investor Ecofin, says the firm's newly-launched China Pow

Paul Kennedy, managing director and chief investment officer of GWM Group, says investors are looking for funds, such as the firm’s newly-launched long/short European Ucits fund 7H Absolute, that provide low net exposure and generate alpha through a strategic long-term approach and a short-term trading overlay to maximise returns without an increased risk profile.

Willem de Vlugt and Charles Estourgie, founding partners and fund managers at Amsterdam-based EValuation Capital Management, says the EV Smaller Companies Fund they manage is set to benefit from a favourable environment in the coming year as its core long portfolio of small and medium-sized companies emerge stronger from the crisis.

Carl Meurling, chief executive of Russia and emerging Europe specialist Emeralt Investments, says many investors want exposure to the region with limited and controlled risk, making the firm’s funds a good alternative to long-only products that are completely exposed to market risk.

Michael Kart, manager of the Spectrum funds at Marshall Spectrum, says the firm’s two equity funds are poised to benefit from expected new equity placements, restructuring of the telecoms industry and continued liberalisation of energy markets in Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union.

Melissa Hill highlights the strategies and plans of Sabre Fund Management Ltd., including the launch of a higher risk/return version of

Ricardo Maxit outlines Copernico's approach to exploiting volatility in Latin America, where a potential decrease in liquidity remains t

Amit Shabi (pictured), chief executive of Paris-based event-driven and merger arbitrage specialist Bernheim, Dreyfus & Co, says the firm’s Diva Synergy fund and its recently-launched Ucits version is poised to capitalise on an expected pick-up in European M&A volumes, which should create more lucrative investment opportunities and better performance.

Chin Pu Ma and Chien Wang (pictured), partners and chief investment officer and chief operating officer respectively of Amsterdam-based Asian Century Capital, are looking to attract investors with an eight-year track record of successful investment in Asia on behalf of Dutch banks and an investment style that combines macro themes, a disciplined value-orientated approach, in-house research and the flexibility to go either long or short.

David Rawson-Mackenzie (pictured), founder of longevity investment product specialist Centurion Fund Managers, says the launch of the Centurion Global Population Index Structured Note was prompted by research indicating that many investors needed to generate income from their portfolios, wanted long-term investments with low market correlation, and identified preserving wealth as their main aim.

Doug Bitcon, head of fixed income funds and portfolios at Dubai-based investment manager Rasmala, says the new Global Sukuk Fund he manages is benefiting from a change in attitude on the part of investors, who in the wake of the financial crisis are attracted to sukuk as generally defensive instruments that provide predictable income streams as well as potential for capital growth.

Gina Germano (pictured), managing partner and head of sub-investment grade at Goldbridge Capital Partners, which launched its first funds this summer, says the specialist credit manager aims to generate consistently strong total returns through a rigorous investment process and fundamental research enabling the investment team to identify value while emphasising capital preservation and hedging market risk.

Calvin CK Tai outlines the latest developments in trading at the HKEx, including the launch of new volatility and futures indices

Dr Jan Auspurg (pictured), a fund manager within the quant team at Hamburg-based Aquila Capital, says the AC Spectrum Fund, a Luxembourg-domiciled Ucits that generated a return of 9.98 per cent last August amid massive equity market losses, takes into account not only the strengths of trend-following strategies but their weaknesses, such as a tendency to perform less well in sideways-trading markets or in times of sudden trend reversals.

Lucas Turton, chief investment strategist of Windham Capital Management, which offers a range of active strategies to institutional and wealth management investors through separately-managed accounts, says the firm’s rigorous risk management process has enabled it to flourish despite global economic challenges and sustained financial market volatility, quadrupling assets under management to some USD700m this year.

Nicolas Clavel (pictured), chief investment officer of Scipion Capital and manager of the Scipion African Opportunities Fund, sees increased interest in the firm’s Commodity Trade Finance sub-fund as a wider range of investors look to the strategy in search of absolute returns and a genuine source of alpha.

Piers Denne (pictured), head of sales and marketing at UK alternative investment boutique Future Capital Partners, which specialises in renewable energy as well as in real estate, healthcare, and media and entertainment, sees public initiatives to counter climate change as an important driver of growth and investment returns in renewable energy and related sectors over the coming years.

Sonia Schulenburg, founder and chief executive of Level E Capital, says the firm, which has just launched the Maya Market Neutral Fund, draws on the use of artificial intelligence techniques to model price behaviour, find and exploit market inefficiencies, offering investors highly liquid strategies and complete transparency.

José Luis Jiménez, chief executive of March Gestión de Fondos, the investment arm of Spain’s Banca March, says that a combination of macroeconomic analysis and analysis of financial markets, together with the valuation of companies, is the most critical process for the success of the Spanish firm’s investments.

Aleks Kins, chief executive of managed account platform provider AlphaMetrix, says the uncovering of the Bernard Madoff was a key event for the business, because the scandal pointed to the importance of independence, due diligence and checks and balances, and helped AlphaMetrix to take on some USD1bn in customer assets over the following months.

Alex Orus, chief investment officer at Blue Diamond Asset Management, says the Blue Diamond Real Return Strategy is designed to address investors’ twin concerns of inflation and market bubbles and crashes by seeking to maximise real returns and outperform inflation by an average of 5 per cent over a full market cycle in the investor’s designated currency.

Daniel Schweizer, chief executive and chairman of Horizon21 spin-off Active Alpha, says the firm is particularly nimble in executing its long/short equity trading strategy through very liquid large-cap equities and options, enabling the AA Equity Fund to end 2008 in positive territory and helping Active Alpha to differentiate itself from other managers by providing investors with genuinely uncorrelated performance during difficult times.

Eli Kent and Chris Kelley, co-founders and managing partners of hedge fund seeding platform Harvest Fund, an affiliate of Moody Aldrich Partners, expect to see a surge in investment opportunities over the coming year or so as regulatory changes, increased fee compression and shrinking margins at many established investment firms prompt a flood of talent to go independent.

Faris Abdulrazzaq (pictured), senior portfolio manager at Menasa Capital Management, which specialises in identifying investment opportunities in the rapidly-growing public markets of the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, says that with a buoyant oil price driving current account surpluses, Gulf governments are poised to spend more than ever on building infrastructure and creating jobs. 

Ian McEvatt, majority owner of Iceman Capital Advisors, says the London- and Amsterdam-listed Himalayan Fund it manages is narrowly focused on generating returns from opportunities in Indian stocks. Because of this, he says, Iceman concentrates on providing excellent communication and client servicing and a level of transparency and access that cannot be provided within any kind of institutional structure.

Portfolio Science president Ittai Korin (pictured) says the firm’s provision of risk management services through an application programming interface is bringing risk tools to a broader range of investment industry players than ever, at a time when managers are realising that a seat-of-the pants approach to risk management and reporting is no longer adequate for their business needs or acceptable to their own clients.

James Thornton, fund director at Mayfair Capital Investment Management, says investors with the specialist property fund manager have benefited from the firm’s ability to time the UK market – for example in 2007, when they called the peak of the market and decided to wind up the MC Property Growth Fund early to protect investors’ capital and take profits.

Phoenix Investment Adviser, which focuses on investing in the bonds of out-of-favour companies whose securities’ prices have declined substantially, recently opened to outside investors a fund investing in the equity of the same ‘stressed’ companies. Founder and chief investment officer Jeff Peskind says such stocks may have significant upside potential in an environment of economic recovery where companies continue to have access to capital via the high-yield market.

Jonathan Sharpe, chief executive of Ratio Asset Management, says the long/short small and mid-cap equity Ratio European Fund benefits from the limited attention the sell-side pays to the fund’s investment universe, which increases its inefficiencies, while the sharp decline in the level of assets on the buy side from its peak has increased the available opportunities.

Liz Evans, manager of the recently-launched Asia Pacific fund at investment boutique Cavendish Asset Management, says 2010 will be a generally positive year for Asian markets as they continue to recover from last year’s historic trough, with less volatile markets and more moderate returns, but uncertainty remains over prospects for inflation and interest rate rises, especially in China.

Michael Azlen, founder and executive chairman of Frontier Investment Management, says the investment proposition behind the firm’s passive multi-asset funds, encompassing eight asset classes, is based in part on the diversification benefits of combining traditional and alternative asset classes, a philosophy similar to that of US university endowment funds.

Michael Reichstein, whose Maltese alternative fund business, Resco Funds Sicav, is preparing to launch the Thoroughbred Horse Fund, says that despite the risks inherent in an asset class whose performance is partly dependent upon race results, the fund aims to achieve stable and attractive performance through a strategy of diversified investments and the access to the knowledge of a broad range of industry experts.

Olaf van den Heuvel, European head of tactical asset allocation at Aegon Asset Management and portfolio manager of the Ucits-compliant Global Opportunities Fund launched last December, expects the fallout following the credit crunch to continue along with further ‘surprises’ like Greece or Dubai.

Silverstone Capital partner Philip Pirecki says the firm’s eponymous fund, which invests across the automotive industry value chain, can provide investment institutions such as pension funds with the alpha and low correlation they seek to achieve a return profile that will meet their investment objectives.

AIMhedge chief investment officer Richard Bibb says the firm’s combination of a systematic, emotion-free trading approach over a large, well-diversified basket of futures markets and an effective active risk management system is a very powerful argument for investors just starting to look for better-performing investments in the wake of the financial meltdown in 2008.

Ronald M Neumunz, head of sales and investor relations at Geneva-based Alpstar Capital, says the firm’s concentrated focus on Europe is a key differentiator that appeals to non-European investors who want dedicated continental credit exposure, along with an investment process combining macro and micro elements with a real operating world overlay.

Thanos Ballos, managing partner of Strategic Investments Group, says the firm’s multi-manager Active Trading Fund, launched in May this year and managed by Permal Group, offers a multi-asset strategy that seeks to generate absolute returns with controlled volatility and low correlation to the fixed-income and equity markets.

Coburn Barrett founder and senior manager Thomas Wehlen says the firm’s GLI Fund, a global quantitative macro fund, has beaten both the S&P 500 and the MSCI Global indices by more than 10 per cent over its nearly 13 years of existence, but fundraising is difficult because the fund does not fit into any standard category and not charge a performance fee.

Tony Parry, executive director of Premier Group (Isle of Man), says the New Earth Solutions Recycling Facilities Investment Sub-Fund, launched in partnership with environmental technology specialist New Earth Solutions, has returned 25.8 per cent since July 2008 by investing directly and indirectly in the development and ownership of recycling facilities in the UK.

Rupert Foster (pictured), manager of the Matrix Asia Fund, believes that this year will see the start of global tightening, in the short term causing markets to become nervous and jittery but subsequently opening up opportunities first in interest rate-sensitive and then cyclical areas of the market.

FQS Capital Management is a dynamic multi-asset management firm that utilizes proprietary quantitative models and integrated risk analysis to maximise risk adjusted investment returns.

Andres Pitchon says that falling interest rates, rising credit quality and strong economic growth make Argentina and Latin America as a whole an attractive target for investment over the n

Nick England, founding director of fund of hedge funds manager CIA, says the firm's Hurdle Funds has continued to deliver positive returns over the

Shaun Port, chiefinvestment officer at fund of hedge funds manager BDO Stoy Hayward
Investment Management, says the firm selects managers with a un

Beach Horizon co-founders Alan Goulding and Dr Paul Netherwood outline the investment ideas and strategies that define Beach Horizon.

Ari Bergmann, managing principal at Penso Capital Markets, says the firm gains access to best of breed managers by bartering its expertise in risk management services for capacity in their

Arne Schmidt outlines the thinking and investment processes that underpin Zurich-based Systematic Absolute Return's new fund of hedge funds, SAR Environmental Fund, and unveils plans to la

Brad Cole discusses the strategy and investment processes driving the Tellus Natural Resources Fund, focused on commodities and natural resources.

Managing director and head of sales Christophe Chouard outlines the strategy and investment processes that are driving performance at fund of hedge funds manager HDF Finance.

Cyril Julliard outlines the strategy and thinking that is driving the performance of Paris-based ERAAM's range of funds, and outlines plans for new launches.

London-based Chaser Capital launched its first currency fund on 14 February.

Chris Jones outlines Key Asset Management's investment thinking and range of funds of hedge fund investment strategies.<

Chief executive Dr Glenn Baggley says Eddington Capital Management aims to offer investors a high-octane fund of funds portfolio through the selection of talented managers capable of achie

Dexion Capital plc has successfully completed the third major fund raising for its London-listed closed ended fund of hedge funds, Dexion Absolute Ltd.

Fred Siegrist provides a compelling insight into the thinking that underpins the investment processes at RMF, the asset management division of Man Group plc.

In this interview Ian Cadby outlines how Liberty Ermitage doubled its assets under management in funds of hedge funds to over US$1 billion over

Julian Mayo outlines the strategy and thinking behind the development of Charlemagne Capital's suite of emerging market funds.

Mehraj Mattoo discusses the investor-focused approach that is shaping the evolution of Commerzbank's funds of hedge funds.

Senior executive officer Omar Kodmani highlights the investment process and thinking behind the Permal FX, Financials and Futures Fund, to which the London-listed fund of hedge funds fund

Peter Ludvigsen, head of institutional business at Nedgroup Investments, argues that mainstream hedge fund strategies have become increasingly correlated to key risk factors and that a maj

Robin Bowie, founder of Dexion Capital, outlines the trend towards listed closed ended investment companies and highlights Dexion's unique position in this expanding sector.<

Brett Hellerman, co-founder of Clinton Group, discusses the emerging manager seeding fund he has launched with MassMutual Insurance.

Tim Gascoigne describes the combination of intensive research and market pragmatism driving HSBC Republic Investments' funds of hedge funds.

Tim Haywood outlines the strategies and thinking behind Julius Baer Investments' range of hedge funds.

Tushar Patel outlines the strategic thinking that is driving the development of GAIM Advisors' growing range of index-based funds of hedge funds.

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Virginia Reynolds Parker examines the management of risk in FoHFs and outlines a range of issues central to the concerns of managers and investors.

Yonatan Gozdanker outlines the investment process and strategies underlying Pamplona's newly launched emerging markets fund.

Martin Baxter, portfolio manager of the Collins Stewart Absolute Return Plus Fund, says the hedge fund industry has suffered because managers have

Fabrizio Ladi Bucciolini, senior fund manager and head of alternative funds at Reyl Asset Management, says the Reyl Velocity fund of hedge funds, launched in September with USD15m of seed capital, is active across different asset classes and focuses on realised rather than marked-to-market profits, and hence focuses on traders with short holding periods and high portfolio turnover.

Army Yan, head of research and managing director with fund of hedge funds manager K1 Group in Hong Kong, says the K1 Fund Allocation System develop

Scott Epstein, Head of Alternative Fund Services at HSBC in San Francisco, and Jackie Tomecek, Director of Sales, outline West Coast investment trends.

Khiem Do outlines the factors that underline the performance of Baring's China-focused long short fund, which has delivered strong returns.

Colin Bugler and Robert Pitt highlight the strategic focus and thinking that is driving the expansion of Scotia Capital's prime brokerage business.

Andrew Collins outlines recent developments at Butterfield Fund Services, including the appointment of a new Director of Marketing for Europe.

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Joost Lobler outlines the strategy and thinking that is driving the global expansion and growth of Equity Trust's alternative fund services business.

Sean Flynn outlines developments at UBS Fund Services, including the opening of a Toronto fund administration operation in 2006 to service the North American market.

London-based IG Markets is the broking subsidiary of IG Group.

Nicholas Roe outlines the reorganisation of London-based Deutsche Bank's Global Prime Services unit, reviews key trends in 2004 and looks ahead at 2005.

Mohammed Hanif (pictured), the founder, chief executive and chief investment officer of Insparo Asset Management, says the firm’s Africa and Middle East Fund has generated returns exceeding 30 per cent since launch in June 2008 through an innovative on multistrategy approach that has protected investors’ capital in stormy markets while generating outstanding absolute returns during periods of market strength.

Tai Tam Capital'sHui-Wen Shiau (see attached photo) and Jun-Tsiang Lam outline the
thinking that is driving the investment strategy of their new As

Johannes E.

As Bridge Asset Management prepares to launch the Bridge Global Opportunities Fund (BGOF) on 1 November, Nick Corby outlines the background to the fund and discusses its approach to emergi

Magister Ludi Capital Management portfolio manager Anita Ramachandran and chief executive Rajinder Sabherwal (pictured) say that their Global Macro

Managed futures isone of the few alternative investment strategies that tends to
demonstrate negative correlation to traditional investments during

SEAL Capital founders and managing partners R Michael Reveley (pictured) and Toby Chandler believe that in the wake of the Madoff, Galleon and K1 scandals, investors are demanding transparency, liquidity and a highly ethical infrastructure, which their firm delivers through the HFR managed account platform.

Aros Capital Partners has just launched its first investment vehicle, the long-biased global macro Aros Paradigm Fund, with friends and family capital. Chief investment officer and founding partner Nicolai Borcher Hansen (pictured) says the fund’s investment strategy will target value-based investment in equities and corporate bonds as well as exploiting the firm’s expertise in the niche area of Danish mortgage bonds.

Renee Haugerud (pictured), founder and chief investment officer of global macro manager Galtere, sees opportunities in the convergence of the US economy with commodity-rich economies and is backing that view through a real assets private equity strategy that invests in the production of agricultural staples in Brazil, Uruguay and Australia as well as complementary agribusiness opportunities in Brazil.

Fred Siegrist provides a compelling insight into the thinking that underpins the investment processes at RMF, the asset management divis

Thaddée Tyl outlines the quantitative and systematic strategies that have shaped Rivoli Fund Management.

William Wong, director of Qbasis Capital Management, argues that after a successful year in 2008 while other hedge fund strategies stumbled, the firm's systematic managed futures funds

SVM Asset Management managing director Colin McLean says the SVM Highlander Fund he manages, which has returned an annualised 15.1 per cent since i

Broadstone Fund Management, part of the Dublin-based Broadstone Capital Group, is preparing to launch

Oslo-based Dag Rosmo outlines Interkraft Capital Management's trading focus on the Nordic power markets and reveals plans to launch a new f

Eric de Sangues outlines the investment process that underpins the hedge funds run by Geneva-based Avendis Capital.

James Bryson and Roland Hass outline the investment process and thinking behind the launch of their new multi-strategy fund focusing on Indonesia.

Kevin Boscher predicts that increasing geopolitical risks and tightening global liquidity could result in a major market correction in 2006.

Brian Gilmore, chief executive of Palatine Asset Management, says the Capitoline Global Media Fund, which aims to exploit capital inefficiencies in the market for asset-based financing

Head of funds Manfred Schrapler says that as one of the few banks with a dedicated hybrid structuring and trading team, Deutsche Bank is able to use unique risk management techniques to

Michael Derks, chief investment officer of Arch Financial Products, says the CF Arch cru Finance Fund launched in November to invest in short- to medium-term private finance deals enjoy

Andreas Koettner, managing director and head of portfolio management at Malta-based Golden Hedge Alternative Investments, says the firm’s multistrategy fund stands to benefit from its specialisation in relatively unusual niche strategies that display low correlation to typical CTA or hedge fund styles.

Justin O’Connor (pictured), chief executive and chief investment officer of property fund manager Cordea Savills, says that new opportunities with the potential to deliver outperformance over the longer term exist in the Nordic region, where secure property market fundamentals have prompted the reopening of the Nordic Retail Fund, and London residential development, where a new fund aims to benefit from the current shortage in capital funding by negotiating favourable terms with developers.

Direct investment in farmland has outperformed stock and bond returns over various timescales with substantially lower volatility than the US equit

Marc Thiel, chief executive of real estate investor and manager Euro Ejendomme, says the firm’s new hotel fund, which is aiming to close with EUR500m in capital by next June, aims to capitalise upon the relative lack in Germany of the middle-range business hotels common in the UK and France.

Charlie Metcalfe, chief executive of First State Investments, says the First State Media Fund has embarked on a fresh round of fundraising after investing virtually all its initial commitments on a diverse range of musical copyrights, and argues that media and entertainment assets tend to be more resilient than other sectors in times of recession.

Manuel Alejandro Dopazo, managing director of London-based investment manager and corporate advisor Fincere, says that despite the recent impact on emerging markets of global financial turbulence, the world's developing economies are well placed to continue to build on their growth of the past few years.

Andreas Rialas highlights the ideas and vision behind Argo Capital Management's emerging markets-focused funds.

Cato Brahde discusses Oceanic Energy Fund's innovative strategies in tapping the growing potential in the energy sector. 

Managing director Dan Ascani of Gemini Futures, a CFTC-registered futures introducing broker, commodity pool operator, and commodity trading adviser that launched two hedge funds focused o

Enrico Angella and Aurelio Matrone discuss the multi-layered investment strategies that define Getraco's Kkienn European Fund.

Gilles Frisch and Gabriel Andraos believe the 'credit market - neutral' feature of their strategy sets Dexia Credit Arbitrage apart from its competitors

Hillary Duckworth outlines the outlook and opportunities for Mukwa Fund in sub-Saharan Africa.

James Morton outlines the investment thinking that drives the performance of Key Asset Management's new special situations fund.

Kevin Pilarski outlines the investment process and analysis that underlies the performance of Kilkenny's biomedical-focused range of funds.

Lahrs Buhl of Swiss-based Capricorn Asset Management outlines the investment thinking behind the company's currency programs.

Melissa Hill outlines recent developments at Sabre, including new hire Matthew Isherwood and expansion into new markets such as Japan.

Nick Mann discusses Oberon Asset Management's strategies in its area of key competence, the Japanese markets.

Peter Halloran, founder and chief executive of specialist Russia and CIS manager Pharos Financial Group, says the firm's presence in Russia and its network of local contacts are the key to

Ron Senator outlines the investment thinking behind the new Puma Sphera fund, a joint venture between Shore Capital of London and Sphera Fund Management of Tel Aviv.

Shahid Ikram identifies the opportunities and developments in the market cycle that will influence the future growth of Morley G7 Fixed Income Fund.

Stephen Cohen discusses the impact of changes in Russia's political economy on Troika Russia Fund's future plans. 

Todd Voigt, manager of Cohen & Steers' Global Real Estate Long-Short strategy, which differentiates itself through bottom-up fundamental resear

Tony Zucker discusses the strategies behind Thames Rives Kingsway Fund in the current volatile markets.

New Zealand-based quant manager Pure Capital is about to launch its first pooled fund, the Guernsey-based Pure Protection Fund, alongside its range

Giovanni Pennetta, chief executive of Goldwinds Asset Management, investment adviser to the KPR Diamond Fund, says that in times of market turbulen

Katherine Buck, a managing director and portfolio manager for small-cap core equity strategies at Chicago-based Wayne Hummer Asset Management, beli

Miriam Mascherin, managing partner of Luxembourg-based Elite Advisers, says the firm's combination of investment management expertise and deep know

WestSpring Advisors principals Ralph Nacey (pictured) and Eric Phillipps, who launched the FRM-backed firm’s first family of fixed-income funds last month, believe that the curren

Sheriden Hure, a senior portfolio manager at Sydney-based market neutral multistrategy manager Fortitude Capital, says the firm is currently seeing great opportunities in the pricing of

Michael Wexler, who founded Maple Leaf Capital LLP in 2002, outlines recent developments within the company's flagship volatility tra