What’s news around the hedge fund industry for Friday, Nov. 30, 2012:

Around the web

Hedge funds, expecting a bigger buyback, snap up Greek debt. (DealBook)

Even the pros struggle with Gold Miners ETFs. (Benzinga, via Nasdaq)

Algorithmic trading a top SEC worry. (Bangkok Post)

Caxton vet launches $240 million hedge fund. (Institutional Investor, via FINalternatives)

Pershing Square nets $2.2 billion for listed hedge fund. (FINalternatives)

New secondary market platforms emerge. (FINalternatives)

Ex-Lancer Group executive Martin Garvey stuck with legal bill. (FINalternatives)

SAC chief gave testimony. (DealBook)

CME Group drops challenge to swap-data repository rules. (Bloomberg Businessweek)

Memorable quotes from Reuters’ 2013 Investment Summit. (Reuters)

Restoration of Louis Moore Bacon’s Orton Plantation on display. (Wilmington (N.C.) Star-News)

Lehman Trustee, German affiliate settle. (WSJ.com)

Just because: Santelli throws a tantrum. (Crooks and Liars) Now with fun gif at the bottom!

Here we take a look at October 2012 absolute performance for the top 5 long/short equity funds in two categories - all funds and U.S.-only funds - as tracked by Lipper’s hedge fund database. To see more analysis, including assets under management and domicile information for the top 10 funds in each category, click here for all funds and here for U.S.-only funds. To be truly connected to all the Lipper analytics available on HedgeWorld, become a HedgeWorld Premium Plus member. To find out more about how to do that, visit hedgeworld.com/membership/.

What’s news around the hedge fund industry for Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012:

Around the web

Citadel’s Ken Griffin buys most expensive condo in Chicago history. (Crain’s Chicago Business)

Ray Dalio’s Bridgewater Associates loves ETFs. (Benzinga, via Nasdaq)

Labor Department settles with Ivy Asset Management, J.P. Jeanneret Associates, Beacon Associates Management and Andover Associates Management over Madoff losses. (Pensions & Investments)

Attalus Capital LP shifting gears to single-strategy hedge funds. (Pensions & Investments)

Swiss fear role as haven for secretive resource traders will cost the country. (The Guardian)

Testimony backs up Level Global’s David Ganek in Dell insider trading case. (New York Post)

Besieged by redemptions, Ridley Park Capital to close. (FINalternatives)

The ‘head trader’ in the biggest insider trading case has been identified as Phillipp Villhauer. (Bloomberg, via Business Insider)

Dismal year for quantitative hedge funds. (Financial Times)

Depository picks Dublin for hedge fund services center. (FINalternatives)

Hedge funds down 0.16% month-to-date: BofAML. (FINalternatives)

SAC Capital to hold staff meeting, discuss travails. (CNBC)

Embracing liquid alternatives for investors at all levels. (InvestmentNews)

People moves

Liontrust Asset Management readies return to fixed-income with hiring of Michael Mabbutt. (FINalternatives)

Twin Capital Management adds deep value analyst Richard Fitzgerald. (FINalternatives)

Conifer makes two senior appointments. (FINalternatives)

Insurance companies, and life and annuity companies in particular, are adding to their alternative asset allocations, according to a new report from Patpatia & Associates. Insurance companies’ general accounts represent $4.7 trillion in assets. As they seek to further diversify assets to combat low interest rates and other negative factors, these companies are increasingly outsourcing their investments.

“Insurance general account outsourcing is the last underserved institutional asset management market, and now accounts for 7% of leading managers’ assets,” according to the Patpatia report, which was based on an analysis of more than 500 insurance companies and a survey of 62 investment managers that target insurance general accounts. “Alternative asset managers are now beginning to specifically target insurance companies as a discrete source of placements. It is an opportune time for alternative investment firms to pursue the business.”

For alternative managers spanning hedge funds, real estate, private equity, investment banks and other advisors in alternative investing, the Insurance Asset Management Survey provides valuable intelligence on how to capitalize on this growing business opportunity, including:

- Helping managers evaluate whether to enter the insurance market
- Trends in allocations from insurance companies to money managers
- Evaluations of the demand for different alternative products within specific insurance market segments
- Which high potential insurance segments are expanding their alternatives holdings
- What insurers’ unique needs are and how alternatives managers should sell to them
- What the drivers of success in the insurance market are, and which firms are already capitalizing on the opportunity

To download the executive summary, click here.

The regular price of the report is $1,195*. HedgeWorld subscribers can get a discount. For more information please contact Greg Winterton at greg.winterton@thomsonreuters.com, or (646) 223-6787.

* - Earlier we listed an incorrect price. The price is $1,195. Apologies for the confusion.

Here we take a look at October 2012 absolute performance for the top 5 global macro funds in two categories - all funds and U.S.-only funds - as tracked by Lipper’s hedge fund database. To see more analysis, including assets under management and domicile information for the top 10 funds in each category, click here for all funds and here for U.S.-only funds. To be truly connected to all the Lipper analytics available on HedgeWorld, become a HedgeWorld Premium Plus member. To find out more about how to do that, visit hedgeworld.com/membership/.

Under the Securities Act of 1933, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission allows companies to offer securities for sale without having to register those securities or file periodic reports, provided the companies meet exemptions laid out in Regulation D. For hedge funds’ purposes, those securities are limited partnerships. When a hedge fund firm sells its first securities, it is required by Reg D to file a Form D, which includes names and addresses of the company’s executive officers and stock promoters and the date of the first sale in the offering. As such, Form D filings can be a useful tool to find new hedge fund launches.

Bramshill Income Performance Fund LLC

ESTEE INDIA FUND

—Compiled by Angela Sormani

What’s news around the hedge fund industry for Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2012:

Around the web

As Mary Miller drops out, race for SEC chief shifts. (DealBook)

Fledgling monitor for Wall Street risks an early compromise. (DealBook)

No easy money for ex-Citi proprietary trading chief Sutesh Sharma at Portman Square Capital Management. (Financial News, via FINalternatives)

Tudor Investment Corp., Saba Capital Management sink in October. (Bloomberg, via FINalternatives)

New York Life Investment Management unveils funds of funds. (FINalternatives)

Edgebell Capital Co. becomes first to expand hedge fund under new Japan rule. (Bloomberg Businessweek)

FBI scours social media in insider probe. (FINalternatives)

Argentine default ‘probable,’ Fitch says. (FINalternatives)

Coeli trend-following fund on Deutsche Bank platform. (FINalternatives)

Accused hedge fund fraudster Burton Hochfeld frozen. (FINalternatives) Again?

Ohio PERS puts $440 million into three hedge funds: Brigade Capital Management, Saba Capital Partners and KLS Diversified Asset Management. (Pensions & Investments)

Fortress Group having a good year as other hedge funds struggle. (ValueWalk)

Harvard doctor Chip Skowron turns felon after lure of insider trading. (Bloomberg Businessweek)

Chicago Public School Teachers’ Pension and Retirement fund divests from hedge funds. (Pensions & Investments, via HedgeFund.net)

Bruce Berkowitz’ returns rise from worst to first at Fairholme as AIG, BofA rally. (Bloomberg Businessweek)

Green Mountain’s share price rises as K-Cup sales boost profit. (Bloomberg Businessweek)

How is Martoma’s informant different from Rajat Gupta. (Business Standard)

German lawmakers quiz Deutsche Bank officials on LIBOR. (Reuters)

Barclays failings are arguments for break-up. (Reuters)

Gigantic journalistic investigation begins into offshore tax havens. (Middle Class Political Economist)

People Moves

Conifer Group announces promotions. (HedgeFund.net)

Here we take a look at October 2012 absolute performance for the top 5 funds of funds in two categories - all funds and U.S.-only funds - as tracked by Lipper’s hedge fund database. To see more analysis, including assets under management and domicile information for the top 10 funds in each category, click here for all funds and here for U.S.-only funds. To be truly connected to all the Lipper analytics available on HedgeWorld, become a HedgeWorld Premium Plus member. To find out more about how to do that, visit hedgeworld.com/membership/.

Under the Securities Act of 1933, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission allows companies to offer securities for sale without having to register those securities or file periodic reports, provided the companies meet exemptions laid out in Regulation D. For hedge funds’ purposes, those securities are limited partnerships. When a hedge fund firm sells its first securities, it is required by Reg D to file a Form D, which includes names and addresses of the company’s executive officers and stock promoters and the date of the first sale in the offering. As such, Form D filings can be a useful tool to find new hedge fund launches.

DelTheta Capital, LLC

SDR Partners, LLC

Futuresurfers Alpha Fund, LP

SecondMarket Transcriptic Fund, LLC

—Compiled by Angela Sormani

What’s news around the hedge fund industry for Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012:

Around the web

TPG buys FleetPride from Investcorp for more than $1 billion. (Reuters)

Ex-Level Global analyst testifies on Dell secrets. (WSJ.com)

Starboard Value presses pursuit of Office Depot. (Palm Beach (Fla.) Post)

Gramercy Advisors LLC starts $200 million emerging market credit fund. (Bloomberg Businessweek)

Spartan Fund Management launches Canadian micro-, small-cap fund. (FINalternatives)

Francisco Illarramendi headed to prison for fraud next year. (FINalternatives)

Knowledge is money, but the peril is obvious. (DealBook)

Northern Trust hired by CarVal Investors. (HedgeFund.net)

People moves

CQS names ex-Hintze colleague Marc Hotimsky chairman. (FINalternatives)