As the Labor Day weekend has passed, the summer is over and everyone is back to work, the action on Wall Street is in full swing. With the beginning of the fourth quarter just a couple of weeks away the thought that seems to be on everyone’s mind how strong is the economy? People are concerned about the stock market, they are concerned about the Fed raising rates and they are concerned about unemployment. It is right to be concerned. There is a lot of uncertainty out there right. My simple, unscientific observation is that the overall the economy it is quite weak and fragile. Everyone is sort of scared, and nobody is really doing anything. Which in my mind means it is time to start doing everything…
For those looking to launch a new hedge fund, now is the time. The rules of the game are in place. People understand Dodd-Frank, FACTA and AIFMD. And while many are afraid that there is no room in the industry for start-ups, I disagree. I believe that there is room for everyone, small, medium and large managers. There is always room for managers who can add value to an investors portfolio regardless of the size of the fund. Sure big managers will continue to get bigger but there is room for all managers. There is plenty of room in the market for all sorts of managers regardless of shape, size, structure or strategy.
On September 16th, Operations for Alternatives will be coming to New York City for a half day seminar focused on the convergence of the investment management industry. Building on the success of our program in Palm Beach Gardens in March, OFA-NYC is short series of panel discussions with experts talking about how managers are operating in this environment. There are a few spots left. To learn more about this event go to www.ofa-nyc.com and register today.
I am also pleased to announce that HEDGEAnswers is kicking off our ninth season on September 17 at 10:00 a.m. This unique series of conference calls provides participants with the opportunity to ask experts questions about how to launch, grow and develop a hedge fund. To learn more about the HEDGEAnswers Launch Session Conference call series click here. I look forward to having to seeing you in New York and having you on the call.
In the meantime, keep your head up, stay focused and get things done.