Thanos Ballos, managing partner of Strategic Investments Group, says the firm’s multi-manager Active Trading Fund, launched in May this year and managed by Permal Group, offers a multi-asset strategy that seeks to generate absolute returns with controlled volatility and low correlation to the fixed-income and equity markets. »

Jonathan Sharpe, chief executive of Ratio Asset Management, says the long/short small and mid-cap equity Ratio European Fund benefits from the limited attention the sell-side pays to the fund’s investment universe, which increases its inefficiencies, while the sharp decline in the level of assets on the buy side from its peak has increased the available opportunities. »

Gerry Aherne, chief executive of Javelin Capital, says the firm’s newly-launched Global Equity Strategies Fund, which employs a combination of systematic, fundamental and tactical strategies according to the specific characteristics of individual geographic regions or sectors, is set to appeal to investors that are becoming increasingly resistant to paying for beta-generated performance.  »

Coburn Barrett founder and senior manager Thomas Wehlen says the firm’s GLI Fund, a global quantitative macro fund, has beaten both the S&P 500 and the MSCI Global indices by more than 10 per cent over its nearly 13 years of existence, but fundraising is difficult because the fund does not fit into any standard category and not charge a performance fee. »

Jerome Booth, head of research at Ashmore Investment Management, says the new Ashmore PTC India Energy Infrastructure Fund benefits from the UK manager’s partnership with India’s largest power trader, which brings to the venture strong relationships in the sector that will help the fund to access strong deal flow, preferential deal terms and in-depth local expertise. »

Robert Press, chief investment officer for the TCA Global Credit Fund, argues that the Cayman-based fund is unique in offering short- to medium-term senior secured financing instruments to small and medium-sized companies in combination with hands-on merchant banking services »

Eli Kent and Chris Kelley, co-founders and managing partners of hedge fund seeding platform Harvest Fund, an affiliate of Moody Aldrich Partners, expect to see a surge in investment opportunities over the coming year or so as regulatory changes, increased fee compression and shrinking margins at many established investment firms prompt a flood of talent to go independent. »

David Mcilroy, chief investment officer of Alquity Investment Management, says the firm’s recently-launched Alquity Africa Fund aims to invest in growing businesses that offer investors outstanding financial value, while also addressing the challenges of sustainability that can create or destroy financial value. »

Tony Parry, executive director of Premier Group (Isle of Man), says the New Earth Solutions Recycling Facilities Investment Sub-Fund, launched in partnership with environmental technology specialist New Earth Solutions, has returned 25.8 per cent since July 2008 by investing directly and indirectly in the development and ownership of recycling facilities in the UK. »

Silverstone Capital partner Philip Pirecki says the firm’s eponymous fund, which invests across the automotive industry value chain, can provide investment institutions such as pension funds with the alpha and low correlation they seek to achieve a return profile that will meet their investment objectives. »