Funds, Hedge Funds and Asset Managers

Industry overview: This section differentiates funds by their structural, legal and jurisdictional features. Orientation: Types of fund – mutual funds (incl. UCITS and SICAVs), pension funds, managed accounts, closed-end funds and investment trusts, private equity, tracker and exchange traded funds (ETFs), fund of funds, umbrellas, master feeders, REITs and hedge funds Goals: Absolute vs. benchmarked returns, Alpha vs. beta; portable alpha Strategies: The goal of this section is to differentiate the investment and trading practices, products used and risk profile of different funds and hedge fund strategies. Analytic Overview: The aim of this section is to introduce a structured approach to analysis. Operating Environment: The aim of this section is to review macro, competitive and regulatory drivers of the hedge-fund/fund management industry. Financial Fundamentals: The aim of this section is to benchmark key performance indicators for different types of fund to identify both strong and weak performers.