Craig Machel

Markets: Bonds give you negative real returns. Traditional stocks will be quite volatile for some time to come.

Portfolio allocation for alternative investments: Get comfortable with them and then increase. 10-20% to start and then after 5-6 years, 100%. That is a means to really reduce volatility and increase consistency.

Hedge Funds: Are they riskier than mutual funds? No. Not if you use conservative strategies. You have to understand what you are getting into. You need to put up $25,000 per strategy.

Performance Expectation of Hedge Funds: 2011 was a difficult stretch of time. The hedge fund world is a broad world. Some strategies don’t put capital protection foremost. Look at 2008 and 2011 and that gives you an idea what to expect in the future. In both cases you are either at 0 or close to it, while stocks dropped.

Alternative Investment Information: There are more and more resources available in Canada. Canada Hedge Watch periodical.

Ratings of Who Had the Best Returns: Canada Hedge Watch periodical.

Man GLG Emerging Markets Income Fund: Seeing opportunity in the bond market in this strategy. The developing world is paying a nice yield on their sovereign debt. Don’t go whole-heartedly into it.

ROI High Income Placement Fund: Invests in loans and mortgages in the private space. High quality loans to high quality borrowers. Never had a negative day. Banks aren’t interested in the actual projects, but the borrowers are fine.

SG Capital Cedar Street Fund LP: The proposition is that you have an agile, nimble strategy in poorly analyzed companies. Will turn over positions each quarter depending on announcements. Fund made 9%. No complications for Canadians investing in this US fund. Exempt of US$ risk.

Blackheath Futures Fund LP: Makes money in the back of emotions in the market. Agriculture and metals, bonds and energy. It follows trends as they form.

Fiera Market Neutral Fund: (Top Pick June 11/10, Down 6.5%)

Picton Mahoney Income Opportunities fund: (Top Pick June 11/10, Up 9.20%) Great long/short strategy working in global bond markets.

Spartan Multi Strategy Fund: (Top Pick June 11/10, Up 3.0%)

Hedge fund are relevant to a retail environment in terms of diversification. Alternative strategies and hedge funds add diversification, which is harder with the globalization in the markets. Hedge funds are very much misunderstood. 99% of guys running these funds are doing a fantastic job. You get returns that are not as relevant to the rest of the world. You need an advisor that has access to these guys. You shouldn’t do hedge funds yourself. Minimum investment is $25K and there are salary and asset requirements that must be met.

Are they an asset class on their own? Yes, Hedge funds are a separate asset. Percent depends on who you are and what you require.