Hedge Funds Skip Riskier Gambles

Investment club moves to hedge funds, private equity instruments

(NEWSER) - Tiger 21—the elite investment club whose members have at least $10 million each — is moving away from stocks and into alternatives like hedge funds and private equity instruments. Michael Sonnenfeldt, Tiger 21 founder, reports that assets in stocks are down 10 percent from last year, based on members' growing worries about instability in the global markets affecting U.S. performance. More»

Thanks to an army of lobbyists, they've dodged reforms

(NEWSER) - While Wall Street banks are being hauled before Congress for public reprimand, hedge funds and private equity firms have floated blissfully above the fray, thanks to an army of well-connected lobbyists. More than half of the 83 new lobbyists who signed up with the industry's two main trade groups last year came from government jobs, Politico reports. That includes three former members of Congress, and several former top staffers for the Senate Banking Committee. More»

(NEWSER) - Tim Geithner today proposed a major expansion of federal regulatory powers, reports the Washington Post. In testimony before Congress, the Treasury chief called for hedge funds, derivatives markets, private equity firms, and major insurers like AIG to be brought under strict federal supervision for the first time. His plan, which requires congressional approval, would reverse decades of deregulation. More»

Specialized investment industry dragged back to earth by shaky market

(NEWSER) - The recent market turmoil has taken a good deal of the shine off of hedge funds, as managers are unable to reproduce their heretofore exemplary results in poor market conditions, the New York Times reports. The average hedge fund lost 4% this year, the worst overall results in the industry’s short history, and 2008 has seen some high-profile collapses. More»

'Intentional misconduct' behind billions in writedowns

(NEWSER) - Investment banks got a brief lift from Wall Street results this week, but surprising reports from Credit Suisse are likely to send their confidence back into the basement, the Financial Times reports. The Swiss firm issued an unexpected first-quarter profits warning yesterday—and said “intentional misconduct” from its own traders was partly to blame. Credit Suisse's shares took a 9% dive following the disclosure. More»