Understanding Hedge Fund Management Styles

While performing due diligence on a potentialfinancial futures markets, as well as currency
hedge fund, you should take the time to get tomarkets globally. This style of management relies
know the management style favored by thoseon accurate and timely information regarding
who will be managing your investment. Mostpricing and other technical knowledge to maximize
hedge fund managers have a specialty, and thisreturns.
expertise is often directly related to the types of- Global Macro - this type of style focuses on long
decisions that will be made and which markets willand short positions in both capital and derivative
be explored for profit potential. Because thesemarkets throughout the world. Tied closely to
types of investments need active and insightfulglobal economic events, they can be invested in
decision-making in order to obtain the best result,emerging markets and economies as well as
the style of management will have a substantialdeveloped countries.
impact on the level of returns you can expect- Event-Driven - just as the name suggests, this
from two similar hedge funds. Understanding thestyle focuses on pricing movements that are
performance style will also allow you to track thelinked to events that happen in businesses, either
general returns for similar styles in the past,locally or globally. Mergers and acquisitions are two
providing a more thorough evaluation of theof the most prevalent events that this type of
hedge fund overall.style may follow.
Common Styles for Hedge Fund ManagementThere are other hedge fund management styles
No one investment discipline is superior to theas well, each with its own advantages and
others, and most are tailored to maximize returnsdrawbacks. How these styles are implemented by
on a specific type of investment. A successfulthe fund manager will vary based upon the unique
hedge fund may employ any or all of these stylescircumstances and investments surrounding each
to some extent, depending upon the types ofindividual hedge fund. By fine-tuning these styles
opportunities that comprise the fund. Keep in mindto closely follow the data and expected trends,
that when performing due diligence on the fund,exceptional returns may be possible.
you will need to keep in mind not on the style,Evaluating the type of hedge fund management
but the intended market when making yourstyle that your hedge fund manager prefers
evaluations.cannot be done in isolation. You must consider not
- Fixed-Income Arbitrage - uses the priceonly the style, but the current market conditions,
anomalies between related securities to obtainthe companies and other institutions that may be
profit. This style can be used domestically orpart of the investment, and the potential of those
abroad to generate positive returns. Thesecompanies, stocks, or other ventures. It is only
returns tend to be steady, and fixed-incomeafter gaining an educated overview of the entire
arbitrage is generally focused on minimizingsituation that a management style can be
volatility.properly evaluated for potential effectiveness.
- Managed Futures - utilizes commodity and