Performance Perspectives Blog

GIPS isn’t that hard for hedge funds

by | Nov 22, 2010

We often get contacted by hedge funds who are considering GIPS(R) (Global Investment Performance Standards) compliance. For some reason they see this as being a monumental task; but it really isn’t. Here are some key attributes of hedge funds which make the task a lot easier for them than long-only managers:

  1. Hedge funds typically establish separate partnerships by strategy, so they’re normally looking at a one-to-one relationship between funds and composites. In other words each composite will likely have only one (or only a few at most) fund(s). Meaning the composite is the fund’s return, the composite’s assets are the fund’s assets, and there is no measure of dispersion.
  2. Hedge funds typically limit cash flows to once a month, normally at the end of each month. This means that the funds are valued at month-end before the flows are applied. Therefore, their returns are usually pretty simple to deal with. And, they automatically meet GIPS requirements.

A hedge fund manager’s policies will no doubt be easier to implement than for a long-only manager who is more likely dealing  with a lot more diverse accounts.

While it’s true that in the institutional, long-only space, one can no longer claim a “marketing advantage” by complying, because virtually all of the firm’s peers already comply, this isn’t true in the world of hedge funds. Here there is clearly an advantage to make the effort. The investment to comply isn’t going to be as great as you’d think, so why not make it?

p.s., for more information on how we can help, please contact Christopher Spaulding at 732-873-5700.

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