What is Hedge Fund? Definition of Hedge Fund, Hedge Fund Meaning - The Economic Times (2024)

Definition: Hedge fund is a private investment partnership and funds pool that uses varied and complex proprietary strategies and invests or trades in complex products, including listed and unlisted derivatives.

Put simply, a hedge fund is a pool of money that takes both short and long positions, buys and sells equities, initiates arbitrage, and trades bonds, currencies, convertible securities, commodities and derivative products to generate returns at reduced risk. As the name suggests, the fund tries to hedge risks to investor’s capital against market volatility by employing alternative investment approaches.

Description: Hedge fund investors typically include high net worth individuals (HNIs) and families, endowments and pension funds, insurance companies, and banks. These funds work either as private investment partnerships or offshore investment corporations. They are not required to be registered with the securities markets regulator and are not subject to the reporting requirements, including periodic disclosure of NAVs.

There are many strategies a hedge fund may use to generate returns. One such strategy is global macros, where the fund takes long and short positions in large financial markets based on the views influenced by economic trends. Then there are funds that work on market-neutral strategies. Here, the goal of the fund manager is to minimise market risks by investing in long/short equity funds, convertible bonds, arbitrage funds, and fixed income products.

Another type includes event-driven funds that invest in stocks to take advantage of price movements generated by corporate events. Merger arbitrage funds and distressed asset funds fall into this category.

As of June 30, 2014, there were 158 alternative investment funds (pooled-in investment vehicles for private equity, real estate, and hedge funds). Some examples of hedge funds include names like Munoth Hedge Fund, Forefront Alternative Investment Trust, Quant First Alternative Investment Trust and IIFL Opportunities Fund. There are others such as Singlar India Opportunities Trust, Motilal Oswal’s offshore hedge fund and India Zen Fund.

The minimum ticket size for investors putting money in these hedge funds is Rs 1 crore. According to Eurekahedge India Hedge Fund Index, which tracks hedge funds in India, the category generated 5.07 per cent return in 2015 compared to 38.84 per cent logged in 2014.

What is Hedge Fund? Definition of Hedge Fund, Hedge Fund Meaning - The Economic Times (2024)

FAQs

What is Hedge Fund? Definition of Hedge Fund, Hedge Fund Meaning - The Economic Times? ›

Definition: Hedge fund is a private investment partnership and funds pool that uses varied and complex proprietary strategies and invests or trades in complex products, including listed and unlisted derivatives.

What is a hedge fund in simple terms? ›

A hedge fund is a limited partnership of private investors whose money is pooled and managed by professional fund managers. These managers use a wide range of strategies, including leverage (borrowed money) and the trading of non-traditional assets, to earn above-average investment returns.

What is the legal definition of a hedge fund? ›

Although it is not statutorily defined, the term encompasses any pooled investment vehicle that is privately organized, administered by professional money managers, and not widely available to the public."

What is the meaning of hedging in simple terms? ›

Hedging is a risk management strategy employed to offset losses in investments by taking an opposite position in a related asset. The reduction in risk provided by hedging also typically results in a reduction in potential profits. Hedging requires one to pay money for the protection it provides, known as the premium.

What is one disadvantage of a hedge fund? ›

While hedge funds can offer the potential for high returns, they come with a significant downside: high fees and expenses. These fees can eat into investment returns and reduce the overall profit margin.

How much money do you need to be considered a hedge fund? ›

There's no real prescribed target, but you should aim to have at least $5 million in AUM to be successful, while $20 million will make you noticeable to investors. Having $100 million will get you noticed by institutional investors.

Why would anyone use a hedge fund? ›

Hedge funds were developed, in part, to help investors manage investment risk. Their market-neutral, or balanced, approach to investing helps seek out positive returns by investing in varied instruments over long- and short-term periods.

Who Cannot invest in a hedge fund? ›

Restrictions and Limitations

For example, the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 bars non-accredited investors from certain private securities transactions, including hedge funds. Only qualified clients with $2.2 million in Managed assets can participate due to minimum hedge fund investments.

Where do hedge funds get their money? ›

Hedge funds make money as part of a fee structure paid by fund investors based on assets under management (AUM). Funds typically receive a flat fee plus a percentage of positive returns that exceed some benchmark or hurdle rate.

How do hedge funds work for dummies? ›

Hedge funds use pooled funds to focus on high-risk, high-return investments, often with a focus on shorting — so you can earn profit even when stocks fall.

Why do they call it hedging? ›

As a verb, “hedge” originally meant to create a physical border or to guard land with a hedge. The phrase “to hedge a bet” first appeared in 1672 in a satirical play. Someone who “hedges” a bet is trying to protect him or herself from a loss by making a counterbalancing bet.

What are the three types of hedging? ›

At a high level, there are three hedge strategy types that companies deploy:
  • Budget hedge to lock in a budget rate.
  • Layering hedge to smooth rate impacts.
  • Year-over-year (YoY) hedge to protect the prior year's rates (50% is likely achievable)

Why is hedging illegal? ›

While hedging is not illegal, you need to make sure it fits within your gambling goals while betting on sports. Simply hedging for no reason means you pay more to the bookie and you are cutting your potential earnings.

Is BlackRock a hedge fund? ›

BlackRock manages US$38bn across a broad range of hedge fund strategies. With over 20 years of proven experience, the depth and breadth of our platform has evolved into a comprehensive toolkit of 30+ strategies.

Is my money safe in a hedge fund? ›

While hedge funds are only lightly regulated and carry high inherent risks, funds of hedge funds are thought to offer security because professional managers are picking the hedge funds that make up the pools.

What is the best performing hedge fund? ›

Top Hedge Funds List
Fund Manager3-Year Performance MWTurnover
SIR Capital Management Vince Maddi116.87% (29.44% Ann.)43.53%
Goldentree Asset Management Steve Tananbaum101.85% (26.38% Ann.)56.82%
RR Advisors Robert Raymond95.69% (25.08% Ann.)13.04%
Lodge Hill Capital Clinton Murray91.86% (24.26% Ann.)30.43%
18 more rows

How does a hedge fund make money? ›

How do hedge funds make money? Hedge funds take a management fee of between one and two per cent of the amount you invest. In addition, the hedge fund manager will receive a performance fee (usually around 20 per cent on any profit).

Why do they call them hedge funds? ›

In sum, hedge funds are called hedge funds because they use a full array of hedging techniques to reduce portfolio volatility. They are becoming increasingly popular, as private ownership of capital expands worldwide and large-scale capital owners seek to preserve their wealth in volatile markets.

Why are hedge funds so rich? ›

Hedge funds seem to rake in billions of dollars a year for their professional investment acumen and portfolio management across a range of strategies. Hedge funds make money as part of a fee structure paid by fund investors based on assets under management (AUM).

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