International Business Times – Hedge funds aren’t exactly known for moderation. Free from the regulatory burdens of banking, hedge funds have free rein to experiment with investors’ money. In return for the big investments they demand, hedge funds promise (and occasionally deliver) big returns.
As investors pile about $3 trillion into hedge funds this year, fleeing a tepid bond market and a stock market that’s perceived to be peaking, the pressure is on to find profitable new strategies. As a result, hedge fund managers are wading into some pretty bizarre investments, including funds devoted to wine (which, of course, matures well), derivatives on the weather and property investments in everything from private prisons to Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch.
