Absolute Returns: The Risk and Opportunities of Hedge Fund Investing (Wiley Finance) - Hardcover

Ineichen, Alexander M.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0471251208 ISBN 13: 9780471251200

Publisher: Wiley, 2002

Synopsis

A practical guide to strategies of hedge fund investing.
Hedge fund expert Alexander Ineichen outlines strategies that hedge fund managers use to achieve superior investment performance, particularly in bear markets, when traditional investment strategies do not perform so well, and shows readers how hedge funds might be added to traditional investment portfolios to achieve superior returns. Nontechnical yet sophisticated, Absolute Returns shows investors how to make educated decisions about hedge fund investment--thoroughly explaining the risks as well as the rewards.

About this title

About the Author

ALEXANDER M. INEICHEN, CFA, is Managing Director and Head of Equity Derivatives Research at UBS Warburg in London. In October 2000, Ineichen authored In Search of Alpha: Investing in Hedge Funds, which has become the most often printed research publication in the documented history of UBS Warburg. He has also published several papers in peer-refereed financial journals, contributed numerous articles and chapters to financial newspapers, magazines, and books, and regularly speaks about hedge funds and risk at industry conferences.

From the Back Cover

The hedge fund business is about achieving excellent risk-adjusted returns, not about beating the market. In other words, the hedge fund business is about absolute returns. But not all hedge funds are created equal. A poorly chosen hedge fund or portfolio of hedge funds can produce disappointing results.

In Absolute Returns: The Risk and Opportunities of Hedge Fund Investing, Alexander Ineichen-Head of Equity Derivatives Research for UBS Warburg in London and author of the widely read research publication In Search of Alpha: Investing in Hedge Funds-demystifies what hedge funds are, how they invest to generate superior risk-adjusted returns, and what the concurrent risks of investing in them are.

Divided into four comprehensive parts . . .

Part I: The Hedge Fund Industry

Part II: Risk and Opportunities of Absolute Return Strategies

Part III: The Fund of Hedge Funds Industry

Part IV: Going Forward

. . . this book will introduce you to the new investment paradigm of absolute returns, outline the risk and opportunities of absolute return strategies, dispel the myths and misconceptions that have surrounded hedge funds, and provide a detailed look at the advantages and disadvantages of hedge fund investing.

Besides focusing on the characteristics and performance of single hedge funds, Absolute Returns also discusses the fund of hedge funds approach, a strategy in which a single fund invests in a portfolio of hedge funds. Ineichen explores the fund of hedge funds industry, the vehicles within this industry, as well as the potential for alpha in a fund of hedge funds.

There are essentially two main reasons to invest in hedge funds: superior performance and diversification. Absolute Returns will help you understand each of these topics as well as a number of other hedge fund issues you must be familiar with in order to succeed in this arena. Filled with helpful charts, real-world examples, and an informative appendix for each chapter, Absolute Returns will allow you to make more educated decisions about hedge fund investments.

From the Inside Flap

"The world of investing floats on a vast sea of words, most of which are obvious, simple-minded, and clichés, and all of those are dangerous to financial health. The story in this book bears no relation to all that stuff. Ineichen's message is original, powerful, comprehensive, and essential to robust financial health. The literary clarity he blends with his financial wisdom is an additional blessing."
-Peter L. Bernstein, President, Peter L. Bernstein, Inc.,
author of Against the Gods and The Power of Gold

"No one can afford to risk money in hedge funds without reading this comprehensive guide. The details are illuminating, presentation captivating, analysis brilliant and lessons profound. A wonderful contribution to the hedge fund literature."
-Prof. Narayan Y. Naik, Director, Centre for Hedge Fund Research and Education, London Business School

"A good understanding of the working of the hedge fund market and hedge fund strategies is important for every active investor. Ineichen's book does an excellent job tying together historical, empirical, and theoretical analysis in a way readily accessible to practitioners. A more comprehensive examination of the hedge fund market and hedge fund strategies would be hard to find."
-Hans de Ruiter, ABP Investments, Senior Portfolio Manager
Quantitative Equity Strategies

"Hedge funds are not mainstream and this book is not mainstream either. The author challenges traditional investment paradigms and the way investors think about risk. An exciting read and a must for every professional investor."
-Dr. Burkhard Poschadel, Chief Executive Officer, GAM

"Written for the professional investor, Alexander Ineichen's book provides a comprehensive, in-depth analysis of alternative investment strategies. Combining the latest research with his own insights, Ineichen has produced the definitive study of hedge funds and funds of hedge funds."
-Richard Elden, Chairman, Grosvenor Capital Management, L.P.

"Alexander Ineichen's in-depth research findings and analytical insight are brought together in this book which is chock-full of useful statistics on hedge fund strategies. Definitions, examples, return/risk parameters, and key risk factors are provided for each strategy. This comprehensive book is a necessity for every hedge fund investor."
-Lois Peltz, President, Infovest21

Edition details

• Publisher: Wiley
• Publication date: 2002
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0471251208
• ISBN 13: 9780471251200
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 528