Alternatives

1. Och-Ziff funds post gains in June but assets drop

   Publicly traded hedge fund manager Och-Ziff Capital Management saw gains in all its main funds during June, but investor withdrawals led to an $800m (€571m) decrease in assets under management for the month compared to May.

2. TCI profits hit record £555m on ABN Amro gain

   UK hedge fund manager The Children's Investment Fund Management, better known as activist shareholder TCI, lifted its revenue and profit by more than 70% last year in its fourth consecutive year of double-digit increases.

3. Private equity nose-dives in first half of 2009

   The moribund state of private equity has been depicted in half-year reports on the troubled sector, which showed how activity tumbled in the first six months of the year. Global buyouts hit a 12-year low with an 82% drop on the same period last year, while fundraising also generated its smallest amount in five years.

4. Hedge fund body toughens governance stance

   A global body representing hedge funds is putting pressure on the industry to raise its corporate governance standards and employ independent administrators after apparent lax efforts led to many firms and their investors being duped by convicted fraudster Bernard Madoff.

5. Green Deals go into the Red

   Last year’s green deals have gone into the red, leaving the weight of frustrated ambition resting uneasily over the sector.

6. The funds that private banks prefer

   Just when wealthy individuals thought it was safe to emerge from their bunkers, they are being inundated with ideas on where to put their hard-earned cash.

7. Investors push for improved terms on funds

   There have been better times to raise a private equity fund. Many firms, even some well-regarded ones, have had to settle for less than they hoped for or postpone their final closings.

8. Investors ponder what price to put on beauty

   “Art for art’s sake” was an adage dreamt up by 19th century philosopher Théophile Gautier, but its meaning – that art should be appreciated by its owner because they like it, rather because of its financial value – looks increasingly relevant in today’s troubled time.

9. Unlisted writedowns drag on RAB flagship

   Investors in RAB Capital’s flagship hedge fund, which last year voted keep their money invested until at least 2011, are still being hit by writedowns on unlisted assets that are all but wiping out gains made elsewhere in the fund.

10. Heads I win, tails you lose

    The hedge fund meltdown is making many investors reflect on their strategy for one of the most alluring alternative asset classes.