Over the past 20 years, hedge funds have gained almost mythic status. Loved and loathed, they are held to be sharply distinct from the broader asset management industry. The fortunes of the best-known firms are followed with great interest.
There is nothing that definitively marks hedge fund managers apart from other investment managers, however. Instead, all asset management firms sit on a spectrum, whether in terms of fees charged, strategies employed, or the types of vehicles offered to investors. The idea that hedge funds represent a clear, separate grouping has never been more dubious.
Depending on the definition of a hedge fund, the assets managed could range anywhere from $800bn to $3.6tn. Furthermore, we find that the $800bn figure accords more closely with the common perception of a hedge fund.
Finding a meaningful number is not only a definitional exercise but also a statistical one, subject to uncertainty. Flows into or out of what others define as the industry should therefore be viewed in the context of such error, which should be calculated and reported.
More here – Winton Group
