The Reading Room

Strong first quarter for some prominent hedge funds

Only a few managed to top the performance of the rallying U.S. stock markets.

Hedge funds keep a lid on leverage

Presence of bank's proprietary trading operations barely felt

Hedge funds make most of assymetric risks

Hedge fund managers pore over potential trades which offer attractive risks most missed in 2011

FirstRand’s RMB stops proprietary trading

RMB takes steps after investigating the effects Basel III rules may have on its business

Hedge funds take profits after bumper Q1

After making good gains earlier in the year, fund managers are wary going forward

What is the Volcker rule?

The long-term effects of the rule are uncertain but, in anticipation of it, many proprietary trading operations are breaking ties with the banks.

Global hedge fund launches surge in 2011

Despite performance volatility and macroeconomic uncertainty in the second half of the year, investors maintained a strong commitment to hedge funds

Egypt again leads the African pack

Quiet February but with seven of eleven markets advancing

Hedge funds to pay more for litigation insurance

Insurers are quoting rates that are 5% to 10% higher for coverage that protects hedge funds against government investigations and investor lawsuits, after more than two years of rate declines

How hedge funds have changed in a decade

At the end of 2011 hedge funds reached $2.01 trillion, an estimated annual growth rate of 12.3%