The long and short of it: Due diligence and equity hedge funds

With many equity long/short funds correlating worryingly with long indices, and manager performance patchy year to year, thorough and perceptive due diligence is key to keeping ahead of the competition

Last year, 2004, was monumental for the hedge fund industry, with global assets-under-management estimated to have surpassed the $1trillion mark for the first time.1

One implication of this rapid growth is that it has become increasingly difficult to determine where on the quality spectrum a particular hedge fund lies. In this context, the due diligence process has become ever more important.

As with any analysis of an investment opportunity set, the process of information gathering, assessment