L/S Spread Percentiles

Curious what the ranges for average career L/S spread are for HF analysts.

I would guess it's something like:

  • Negative spread = 40%
  • 0-5% spread per year = 40%
  • 5-10% spread per year = 10%
  • 10-15% spread per year = 5%
  • >15% spread per year = 5%

Assuming this is over a 10-15+ year career.

7 Comments
 

I am speaking to L/S spread defined as:

  • If you are 100% long and 100% short (200% gross with zero net).
  • Your longs go up 10% and your short are flat.
  • This equals 10% L/S spread.

Multi-strat funds generally look at ROIC on gross capital, which in the above case would be 5% (defined as 10% PnL/200% gross at zero net). I would agree with your numbers for ROIC on gross capital, but those seem low for L/S spread.

The numbers you listed would imply that the industry destroys a lot of value post-fees, which I don't think is true historically.

Let me know if we are having different definitions here or if you think my numbers are still too high using the same definition.

Thanks for the thoughts either way.

 

Investment Analyst in HF - EquityHedge

I am speaking to L/S spread defined as:

  • If you are 100% long and 100% short (200% gross with zero net).
  • Your longs go up 10% and your short are flat.
  • This equals 10% L/S spread.

Multi-strat funds generally look at ROIC on gross capital, which in the above case would be 5% (defined as 10% PnL/200% gross at zero net). I would agree with your numbers for ROIC on gross capital, but those seem low for L/S spread.

The numbers you listed would imply that the industry destroys a lot of value post-fees, which I don't think is true historically.

Let me know if we are having different definitions here or if you think my numbers are still too high using the same definition.

Thanks for the thoughts either way.

Why do you think the industry is losing AUM?

Why don't you think the industry destroys value on median?

 

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