Why don’t HF’s spend time on AI stocks?

When you speak with HF analysts they just talk about some saas business they like, but so rare to hear them talk about real AI stocks (aside from nvda)? Like BBAI, SOUN, AI, SMCI, all these big opportunities up 200% this year that no one caught? Many of them were in nvda 13f, and still never hear about them. lol is that why HFs underperforms QQQ this year (again)?

7 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Most HFs strategy isn't just catching a theme. They are not designed to identify a bunch of themes ahead of when they'll all-of-a-sudden matter. AI has been a hot topic for years believe it or not and now all of a sudden that NVDA has the numbers to show for it, every other related stock goes up. It is incredibly similar to the 2021 dynamics of meme-like momentum/FOMO style trading that got a bunch of HFs smoked the following year when all those tailwinds subsided for the MAJORITY of those companies. Crypto is the same thing. Hell why aren't HFs balls long BTC?? It's up a ton, right??

Point is hedge funds are looking for dramatic changes in fundamentals across a multitude of timelines. I agree with the idea that if you're a tech focused hedge fund and you aren't all over a lot of this stuff then you deserve to be out of biz but also a ton of this stuff is just as mentioned above 1) not scaleable, 2) not financially viable, or 3) a fad

 

Maiores delectus rerum eos non ullam et repudiandae. Necessitatibus illo enim debitis voluptas omnis saepe earum. Id ea eos rerum dolores.

Harum sit accusamus consequatur odit ad quia. Consequatur totam sed odio enim eveniet non. Nam dolores quis aut quos exercitationem consequatur. Aut placeat quo corporis ut qui recusandae in. Voluptatem sed iure et. Rem consequuntur ipsum rerum nostrum debitis ut sint et.

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Point72 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.0%
  • AQR Capital Management 97.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.1%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

November 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Magnetar Capital 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.0%
  • Blackstone Group 97.0%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.0%
  • Two Sigma Investments 95.0%

Professional Growth Opportunities

November 2026 Hedge Fund

  • AQR Capital Management 99.0%
  • Point72 98.1%
  • D.E. Shaw 97.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.1%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.1%

Total Avg Compensation

November 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Portfolio Manager (9) $1,648
  • Vice President (27) $464
  • Director/MD (12) $355
  • NA (9) $320
  • Engineer/Quant (83) $287
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (26) $284
  • Manager (4) $282
  • 2nd Year Associate (32) $253
  • 1st Year Associate (77) $193
  • Analysts (235) $177
  • Intern/Summer Associate (29) $145
  • Junior Trader (5) $102
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (277) $95
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”