Get hedge funds right
Source: The National Post
It's fun to jump on the bandwagon and slam hedge funds. Blow-ups, writedowns, meltdowns and financial catastrophe are the words of the day with regard to hedge funds.

I thought we would separate the wheat from the chaff this month and discover the real reasons why hedge funds can be good for a portfolio, and what to look for that could get you into trouble.

Fiction: All hedge funds are risky. More...

Hedge fund founder puts yacht up for sale -report
Source: Reuters
A hedge fund manager whose fund ran into rough weather earlier this month has put his yacht up for sale, the New York Post reported on Monday.

United Capital Markets founder John Devaney is seeking $23.5 million for his 142-foot yacht, "Positive Carry," the Post reported, citing the broker's Web site. More...

Hedge funds focus on asset growth
Source: FinancialNews-US.com
Two more of the world’s best performing hedge fund managers have reopened their funds for the first time in years as the industry switches from generating high returns to gathering assets. More...

In Opposing Tax Plan, Schumer Breaks With Party
Source: The New York Times
June was a busy month for Senator Charles E. Schumer. On the phone, at large parties and small gatherings around the nation, he raised more than $1 million from the booming private equity and hedge fund industries for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, of which he is chairman. More...


More of Today's Stories continued below...  or  Today's Stories unabridged on the web

Bringing sophistication in managing risk
Source: GulfNews.com
An interesting decoupling phenomenon has been in play in global markets over the past few months - one that might offer clues as to whether asset class diversification will continue to work well for long-term investors. More...

"Exotic" investments used for portfolio diversification
Source: London Stock Exchange
Experienced investors are more likely than novices to opt for alternative investments, according to one expert, who explained seasoned investors use "exotic" assets to diversify their portfolio.

Justin Williams is the co-founder of the first art-trading hedge fund and he explained that experienced investors always employ a strategy when it comes to their portfolio. More...

Derivatives too played a part in fall
Source: The Times of India
It wasn't only Thursday's fall in US that was responsible for brearish sentiments in the Indian stock markets on Friday. Huge rollover of futures and options contracts on Thursday also played a part in the havoc. More...

Italian Shopkeepers Blame Banks for Derivative Losses (Update1)
Source: Bloomberg
iera Levo and her husband, who run a 15-employee plumbing supply company in northeastern Italy, bought ``insurance'' against interest rate increases from UniCredit SpA in 2000.

Six years later, they paid 85,000 euros ($117,000) to extricate themselves from a derivative known as an interest-rate swap that is normally sold to large companies and fund managers. Derivatives are contracts whose value is based on that of another security, index or commodity, or linked to events such as changes in interest rates.  More...