http://www.scribd.com/doc/19139335/Goldman-Sachs-Hedge-Fund-Monitor We analyze 687 funds with USD 498 bn of long equity positions and an estimated USD 346 bn of short positions. ... Buy our "Hedge Fund VIP List"...
Does anyone else get the impression that hedge funds are starting to become nothing more than levered mutual funds?
100% long, 70% short = 30% net long doesn't sound like a leveraged equity mutual fund (which are usually 95-100% long).
Many of them are exactly that. "Long only"... levered... for 2/20. Good racket when you can get it. A few years back I recall an interview with Julian Robertson after a 70% gain year (gross or net, don't know)... but he said, "... we've got about 200 positions from around the world... about 100 long, 100 short...". Now THAT was a hedge fund.
Seems like another headline easily misinterpreted to pander to the mathematically illiterate. Net Long exposure rises to highest exposure since June 08 (notice the common ET perception being, get out they're going long again). Notice anything different about the positioning? June 08 L/S 896/606 %32 Net Long June 09 L/S 498/346 %31 Net Long
Can you name a single major equity hedge fund that currently has a net long position > 1.0? The GS article is talking about equity funds, NOT credit/fixed income/mortgage etc.