Alternative Routes to Hedge Fund Return Replication: Extended Version

Abstract

With average hedge fund performance steadily deteriorating and equity markets picking up again, interest in hedge fund return replication as a cheaper means of obtaining hedge fund-like returns is growing steadily. Currently, there are various products on offer. Compared to real hedge funds (of funds), all of them offer improved liquidity, transparency, capacity, etc. and thereby solve a range of problems surrounding hedge fund investment. There are, however, substantial differences in terms of their attraction as portfolio diversifiers. The multi-strategy replication products offered by Merrill Lynch (Factor Index), Goldman Sachs (ART Index), and Partners Group (ABS fund) exhibit a strong correlation with the stock market. This severely limits these products' attraction as portfolio diversifiers. FundCreator does not necessarily replicate any specific fund or index, but allows investors to design their own diversifier from scratch. This gives investors a unique opportunity to create new tailor-made diversifiers with characteristics that are optimal given their existing portfolios. Clearly, this makes FundCreator-based synthetic funds much more attractive than the various multi-strategy hedge fund replication and alternative beta products currently on offer

Keywords: Hedge fund, synthetic fund, replication, asset management

JEL Classification: G11, G23