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With the most severe obstacles to businesses imposed by the pandemic beginning to ease, both hedge fund investors and managers showed marked signs of confidence in alternative investments in 2021, according to The Seward & Kissel New Hedge Fund Study, an annual study of newly launched hedge funds.
SPECIAL REPORT
Hedge fund managers just starting out can sometimes underestimate the significance of selecting a law firm to assist in their fund launch. Selecting a firm solely based on cost can set a fund back and potentially turn out to be a more costly exercise, if the initial advice is fails to understand the manager or the market place – it’s not just about getting the law right.
As the hedge fund industry expands into newer markets and asset classes, smaller prime brokers can carve out boutique offerings in niche and specialist areas – but scalability challenges remain.
INSIGHT
New trends – from technology and data to digital assets and ESG – are transforming the way hedge fund firms invest and operate. What new innovations, products and services are prime brokers offering to keep pace with this evolution?
The hedge fund industry got back to monthly gains in March, eking out a 0.39% return for the month, according to the Barclay Hedge Fund Index compiled by BarclayHedge, a division of Backstop Solutions.
INSIGHT
Hedge funds risk being caught in Phase 6 of the Uncleared Margin Rules (UMR) without adequate preparation owing to continued uncertainty over whether they are in scope, according to a report from Acuiti.
In the face of a “perfect storm” of increased margin requirements, funds are also being impacted by market volatility, which is forcing them to meet collateral demands through negative steps, such as holding back cash or assets or reducing margin-intensive strategies, that reduce fund performance.
The report, Margin Management for Hedge Funds: An Increasingly Complex Calculation, was commissioned by Cassini Systems, and based on a survey
INSIGHT
As hedge fund assets rise and performance rebounds, prime brokers can be a critical part of the industry’s growth.
The hedge fund industry is on the up. Following several years of patchy manager performances, a number of high-profile closures, and sustained investor reluctance to continue coughing up hefty fees
in exchange for often-lukewarm returns, the sector is enjoying something of a renaissance. In 2021 hedge funds generated their third biggest annual gain since the Global Financial Crisis, while global industry
assets under management swelled to record volumes last year – in the neighbourhood of more than USD4 trillion in total.
SEI Novus, an investor data and analytics solution, has released its monthly pan-European short position data for March, revealing a increase in significant increase in activity.
AWARDS REPORT
Sizing a digital assets allocation correctly is one of the most strategic and challenging decisions institutional investors need to make when considering an investment in this asset class. Being judicious in their manager selection process and understanding the risks and complexities of this maturing asset class will also provide a boon to institutional adoption of crypto and digital assets.
“The number one question we get is “how much do I allocate?” There are challenges and risks institutional investors need to consider when sizing their crypto allocation,” cautions Chris Matta, President of 3iQ Digital Assets (US), “this is a really volatile space, which
AWARDS REPORT
Anthony Tu-Sekine, Partner, Blockchain & Cryptocurrency
“We are extremely honored to be receiving the Best Law Firm – Overall in the Hedgeweek US Digital Assets Awards. We are very grateful to our clients and industry colleagues for the recognition that we have received for our work in the Global Blockchain and Cryptocurrency industry. This award is a testament to Seward & Kissel’s commitment to the digital asset industry and our client-first approach to solving complex legal issues that arise with an emerging industry.”
Company info
Seward & Kissel LLP, founded in 1890, is a leading U.S. law firm with a
