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 the definition of a hedge fund? ›

A hedge fund is a pooled investment fund that holds liquid assets and that makes use of complex trading and risk management techniques to improve investment performance and insulate returns from market risk. Among these portfolio techniques are short selling and the use of leverage and derivative instruments.

What is a hedge fund quizlet? ›

Hedge funds are private, actively managed investment funds, investing in a diverse range of markets, investment instruments, and strategies.

What is the legal definition of a hedge fund? ›

A hedge fund is a "private investment partnership (for U.S. investors) or an off-shore investment corporation (for non-U.S. or tax-exempt investors) in which the general partner has made a substantial personal investment, and whose offering memorandum allows for the fund to take both long and short positions, use ...

What is the meaning of hedge to hedge? ›

verb. hedged; hedging. transitive verb. 1. : to enclose or protect with or as if with a dense row of shrubs or low trees : to enclose or protect with or as if with a hedge (see hedge entry 1 sense 1a) : encircle.

Why is it called a hedge fund? ›

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.

Which statement best describes a hedge fund? ›

Question: Which statement best describes hedge funds: Hedge funds are largely unregulated and privately managed investment funds catering to sophisticated investors, which look to earn high returns using aggressive financial strategies similar to mutual funds.

What is the difference between hedge and hedge funds? ›

Hedging is the process in which some studies refer to as risk management. The reason is that hedging allows organisations like hedge funds to diversify their portfolios in order to reduce risk. If hedging is done properly organisations or investors can try and provide themselves with their own type of insurance.

What do hedge funds look at? ›

Many hedge funds seek to profit in all kinds of markets by using leverage (in other words, borrowing to increase investment exposure as well as risk), short-selling and other speculative investment practices that are not often used by mutual funds.

What is the difference between a hedge fund and a fund? ›

Mutual funds are regulated investment products offered to the public and available for daily trading. Hedge funds are private investments that are only available to accredited investors. Hedge funds are known for using higher-risk investing strategies with the goal of achieving higher returns for their investors.

Do hedge funds make 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.

Do hedge funds own property? ›

All over America, hedge funds (in the form of corporations, partnerships, and real estate investment trusts that manage funds pooled from investors) have bought up modestly priced houses, frequently in neighborhoods with large Black and Latino populations, and converted the properties to rentals.

Are hedge funds illegal? ›

Are Hedge Funds Legal? Yes, they are legal. That is, if they are doing the right thing. The usual problems that present are insider trading and market manipulation.

What is hedging in simple words? ›

Hedging is an advanced risk management strategy that involves buying or selling an investment to potentially help reduce the risk of loss of an existing position.

What is a hedge example? ›

A common form of hedging is a derivative or a contract whose value is measured by an underlying asset. Say, for instance, an investor buys stocks of a company hoping that the price for such stocks will rise. However, on the contrary, the price plummets and leaves the investor with a loss.

What does the Bible say about hedge? ›

Job 1:10 “Have you not put a hedge of protection around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.” Here in America, I do not think of a hedge as protection.

How much money is considered a hedge fund? ›

prIvATe Funds oF Hedge Funds

are not registered and often impose minimum investment requirements of $250,000 or more. To participate, you must meet SEC Qualified Purchaser criteria.

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

3 In exchange, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) requires a majority of hedge fund investors to be accredited, which means possessing a net worth of more than $1 million and a sophisticated understanding of personal finance, investing, and trading.

What does a hedge fund do 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.

What is the difference between a hedge fund and a real money fund? ›

A hedge fund differs from so-called “real money” — traditional investment accounts like mutual funds, pensions, and endowments — because it has more freedom to pursue different investment strategies. In some cases, these unique strategies can lead to huge gains while the traditional market measures languish.

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