HedgeCo.Net (New York) – The Middle East accounted for 8%, or $28.9bn, of the global hedge fund market last year. According to a new Bank of New York study, hedge funds will draw a forecast $140.3bn in investments from the Middle East by 2010, accounting for 15% invested globally. Institutional investors provide 40% of the global market, which will increase to 65% by 2010, the study said.

The report by the Bank of New York and Casey, Quirk and Associates LLC, entitled “Institutional Demand for Hedge Funds 2: A Global Perspective”, also estimates that by 2010 nearly 25% of institutional investors will have investments in hedge funds, up from 15% today. It estimates institutional investors will account for more than 50% of flows into hedge funds through 2010 compared to 30% today.

The forecast demand for hedge funds is set to triple to $1 trillion by 2010, up from $360 billion today, as investors continue to embrace alternative investments, the report shows.

Alex Akesson
Contributing Writer
HedgeCo.Net
Email: Editor@hedgeco.net