Key Takeaways
- • Fixed-income hedge fund strategies dominated investor interest in Europe ex-UK and Japan during July 2018, with eight of the top-viewed strategies in Europe ex-UK and seven in Japan focused on fixed income, according to eVestment Advantage Viewership Report data.
- • Asian hedge fund investors demonstrated distinct preference for specific funds, with FORT LP's FORT Global Futures and Balyasny Asset Management's Atlas Enhanced Master Fund ranking among top-viewed strategies in Asia ex-Japan, while Japanese investors favored PIMCO Absolute Return Strategy III Fund.
- • Hedge fund viewership patterns diverged significantly by geography, with Asian investors and consultants showing measurable appetite for hedge funds despite these strategies not cracking top 20 most-viewed products globally or in most other regions during the period.
- • Shifts in institutional investor viewership of hedge fund products reflect responses to multiple drivers including changing investor demand, company news, marketing initiatives, and macroeconomic or political events occurring during the measurement period.
Summary
European and Japanese institutional investors and consultants displayed a pronounced preference for fixed-income hedge fund strategies in July 2018, bucking the broader global trend where equity products dominated viewership across most regions. According to eVestment Advantage Viewership Report data covering the period, eight of the top-viewed strategies among European investors and consultants in Europe ex-UK were fixed-income focused, while seven of the leading strategies viewed by Japanese market participants centered on fixed income. This regional divergence underscores distinct institutional appetite for fixed-income exposure in these markets during a period of broader equity dominance globally.
Asian investors displayed a noteworthy appetite for hedge fund vehicles specifically. Among Asia ex-Japan participants using eVestment, FORT LP's FORT Global Futures and Balyasny Asset Management L.P.'s Atlas Enhanced Master Fund, Ltd. emerged as top-viewed strategies. Japanese investors and consultants similarly ranked PIMCO Absolute Return Strategy III Fund among their most-viewed strategies. While hedge funds did not penetrate the top 20 most-viewed strategies globally or in most geographic regions covered by the report, this Asian concentration of hedge fund interest reflects meaningful institutional engagement with the strategy class in that region.
Shifts in viewership patterns serve as a barometer for institutional investor sentiment and concerns. Changes in how asset management firms, their products, and geographic allocations are viewed can be driven by evolving investor demand, company-specific developments, active marketing campaigns, and reactions to macroeconomic or geopolitical events. In this context, the pronounced tilt toward fixed-income products in Europe ex-UK and Japan during July 2018 likely reflects institutional positioning in response to market conditions, volatility considerations, or valuation concerns specific to those markets during the measurement period.
Asian investors displayed a noteworthy appetite for hedge fund vehicles specifically. Among Asia ex-Japan participants using eVestment, FORT LP's FORT Global Futures and Balyasny Asset Management L.P.'s Atlas Enhanced Master Fund, Ltd. emerged as top-viewed strategies. Japanese investors and consultants similarly ranked PIMCO Absolute Return Strategy III Fund among their most-viewed strategies. While hedge funds did not penetrate the top 20 most-viewed strategies globally or in most geographic regions covered by the report, this Asian concentration of hedge fund interest reflects meaningful institutional engagement with the strategy class in that region.
Shifts in viewership patterns serve as a barometer for institutional investor sentiment and concerns. Changes in how asset management firms, their products, and geographic allocations are viewed can be driven by evolving investor demand, company-specific developments, active marketing campaigns, and reactions to macroeconomic or geopolitical events. In this context, the pronounced tilt toward fixed-income products in Europe ex-UK and Japan during July 2018 likely reflects institutional positioning in response to market conditions, volatility considerations, or valuation concerns specific to those markets during the measurement period.
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