Will Hedge Funds be the New Banks? New York Managers Expect Bright Future

Detailed Description-

New York, June 17th, 2008 -- Opalesque, the world's largest subscription-based publisher covering the alternative investment industry, has launched the sixth issue of its acclaimed regional Roundtable scripts, the “Opalesque New York Roundtable” (download here: http://www.opalesque.com/index.php?act=static&and=RoundtableNY)

Some hedge funds have already started to position themselves as a merchant bank with investment banking capabilities to originate structures. This allows the manager to change cash flows as he wants them, and to be a principal investor. Hedge funds have started to build their own channels of origination and enter direct lending.

These hedge funds will be able to build a strong financial services company-type balance sheet - a "real" corporate balance sheet to borrow and raise equity against. Are hedge funds crossing into the banking world? What does that mean for investors and the financial industry?

Readers of the Opalesque New York Roundtable will get first hand intelligence on:  

What is the future of today's hedge funds?
What is 'permitted disintermediation'? Will hedge funds be the new banks?
What will happen in the distressed space? Where is the economy heading?
'We are seeing tremendous opportunities in multiple asset classes, some we have not seen in almost a decade' - where are these opportunities? Or is the current floor not a floor at all?  Why AIG is setting up a hedge fund seeding joint venture now?

The Opalesque New York Roundtable was sponsored by the Abernathy McGregor Group (www.abmac.com) and took place in their New York office.

Participating Managers:

1.Glenn August, President Oak Hill Advisers LP

2.Tom Priore, CEO of ICP

3.Justin B. Dew, Managing Director, Clinton Group

4.George A. Kellner, Kellner DiLeo & Co., Managing Director, Chief Executive Officer

5.Keith M. Moore, PhD, Kellner DiLeo & Co., Principal, Portfolio Manager, Merger Arbitrage and Opportunities Funds and Director of Risk Management and Quantitative Analysis

Participating Allocators:

1.Girish Reddy, Managing Partner of Prisma Capital Partners

2.Antonio Munoz, CEO EIM USA

3.Rob Discolo, Head of Hedge Fund Strategies Group at AIG

4.Kevin Heller, Head of Research, Focus Group

The Opalesque New York Roundtable Script can be downloaded here: http://www.opalesque.com/index.php?act=static&and=RoundtableNY | Opalesque New York Roundtable

All other previously published Opalesque Roundtable Scripts (New Zealand (March 17th), Australia (March 25th), Singapore Roundtable (April 24th), Hong Kong (May 1st), Japan (June 2nd)) can be downloaded here: http://www.opalesque.com/index.php?act=archiveRT

Matthias Knab, Director of Opalesque Ltd, moderates the Opalesque Roundtables. Matthias Knab is an internationally recognized expert on hedge funds and alternatives and has frequently served as chairman of hedge fund conferences in New York, Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Miami, Bahamas, Stockholm, Dubai etc. In addition, he has presented or moderated at hedge fund events in Sydney, Cape Town, Madrid, and Bombay, and lectured at numerous universities on the subjects of hedge funds and the state of the global alternative asset management industry.

About Opalesque:

Opalesque leads the finance media space for its in-depth and innovative products. Since February 2003, Opalesque is publishing Alternative Market Briefing, the premium news service on hedge funds and alternatives. The launch of these Briefings was a revolution in the hedge fund media space ("Opalesque changed the world by bringing transparency where there was opacity and by delivering an accurate professional reporting service." - Nigel Blanchard, Culross) combining proprietary news with the “clipping service” approach of integrating third party news. Each week, Opalesque publications are read by more than 400,000 industry professionals in over 100 countries.

Opalesque is the only daily hedge fund publisher which is actually read by the elite managers themselves (http://www.opalesque.com/op_testimonials.html). For more information, please go to http://www.opalesque.com.

About Opalesque publications:

Alternative Market Briefing:

A daily newsletter on the global hedge fund industry, highly praised for its completeness and timely delivery of the most important daily news for professionals dealing with hedge funds. Alternative Market Briefing offers both a quick overview and in-depth coverage. Subscribers can also access the industry’s largest news archive ( 27,000+ articles ) on hedge funds and related topics.

A SQUARE:

Opalesque A SQUARE = Alternative Alternatives is the first web publication, globally, that is dedicated exclusively to alternative investments. A SQUARE's weekly selection feature unique investment opportunities that bear virtually no correlation to the main stream hedge fund strategies and/or distinguish themselves by virtue of their "alternative" motive - social, behavioural, natural resources, sustainable /environment related investing.

With its "research that reveals" approach, fast facts and investment oriented analysis, A SQUARE offers diversification and complementary ideas for: private, high net-worth and institutional investors, pension funds and endowments, portfolio and hedge funds managers.

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Delivers three times a week a global perspective/overview on all major markets, including Equity Indices, Fixed Income, Currencies, and Commodities. Opalesque Technical Research is unique compared to most available research which is fundamental in nature, and not technically (chart) oriented.

Opalesque Roundtable Series:

In an Opalesque Roundtable, we unite some of the leading hedge fund managers (single and multi strategy managers) as well as representatives of the local investor base (institutions, fund of funds, advisers) to gain unique insights into the specific idiosyncrasies and developments, the issues and advantages of individual global hedge fund centers.

No matter if you are a hedge fund investor looking for new talent, a hedge fund interested in diversifying your investor base or a service provider looking for new clients, you will get to know some of the leading heads of each hedge fund center and find invaluable information and intelligence right on your desk, without any travel involved.

For more information, please go to http://www.opalesque.com | hedge funds roundtables newyork