What is a Hedgefund?

Hi Community,

Let's break down hedgefunds for a minute. I am aware, for the most part, the role they serve for society. However, I would like to ask a few questions to some experienced people who are in the industry.

1) what is the main role of a hedge fund firm. Day to day activities? 2) what are the most popular investments instruments they participate in?

I understand hedge funds invest in stocks, real estate and derivatives etc. But since HF have not been performing well lately. Why not put my money in an ETF, Index fund etc. instead to achieve a higher return? Without being biased, what edge to HF have? I can invest my money in the stock market and achieve a higher return like Warren Buffet's argument. Am I missing something that HF do? Thanks.

10 Comments
 

Actually I thought it was a perfectly good use of my time. There was a point to it though - no where in your post did it say that you tried to actually search for that information on this very problem. Instead of actually doing some research, you want others to answer for it. Because here's the thing, USE THE DAMN SEARCH FUNCTION BEFORE YOU ASK A QUESTION! Odds are, someone has asked that question in the past and you're not the first one to do it.

 

You're clearly an incompetent person. Read my actual question first instead of the title. Obviously I researched dude - don't have to state that in the question I'm asking because that's obvious. I want to hear people's opinions in the industry - I don't need other people "researching for me." Instead I want to have a general conversation on the current state of HFs. Are you really that ignorant? Shame to have you in this community. Please be mature kid. This isn't a forum for 10 year olds.

 
Best Response

Again, I reiterate. Did you do a fucking search? The same questions have been asked in the past. For your first question - See https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/day-in-the-life-hedge-fund-assoc…</a">Here https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/whats-a-typical-day-like-as-a-gl…</a">Here https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/hedge-fund-the-investment-life-c…</a">Here https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/blog/interview-with-simple-ashedge-fund…</a">Here https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/ama-risk-analyst-at-hedge-fund-w…</a">Here https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/ma-or-restructuring-for-investme…</a">Here https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/hedge-fund-guru-answering-inbox-…</a">Here and https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/hf-analyst-the-things-i-know-for…</a">Here.

For your second question - See https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/10-most-popular-stocks-among-hed…</a">Here http://bfy.tw/EG4o</a">Here https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/blog/what-type-of-hedge-fund-would-you-…</a">Here https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/what-type-of-hedge-funds-do-you-…</a">Here https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/eric-mindichs-eton-park-hedge-fu…</a">Here https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/the-iceland-bet-how-some-hedge-f…</a">Here and https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/will-the-hedge-fund-industry-last</a">Here

See... Search is your friend. People have asked these questions in the past so by seeing what has been written, you will have answered your question.

 

Investors pay hedge funds an outrageous amount of fees to perform well. Hedge funds are designed to provide absolute returns meaning that even if there's a crash or bear market they are still able to provide returns unlike the relative returns of a ETF/Index fund. HFs employ complex strategies that hedge out risks and highly quantitative methods. HFs are also not available to regular investors.

I'm not in the industry so that's all I can provide you with.

 

it's an industry where (if you run the fund), you have to keep a straight (and confidence inspiring) face to your investors. regardless of how afraid/uncertain/frustrated you are inside.

don't ask me how i know. it's not from personal experience or anything.

 

Truthful they are not a great investment in a pure bull market. And there are way too many hedge funds now. A lot of the ways they made money have been competed away. HFT profits have fallen from 8 billion to 1 billion. They had a good strategy for a while, but then their ideas spread to everyone and their profits disapeared too. A lot of the LTCM trades that worked really well for a while are too well known now and can't offer massive returns.

Some of them do offer superior returns thru better risks management techniques. Bridgewater has had some good ideas like risks parity. I would be afraid their ideas are getting dated now though. Risks parity works great in a 35 year bond bull market and offered extra turn. And owning bonds do lower mark-to-market risks and observed volatility. They do add some value still by adding some leverage to a portfolio while spreading out risks.

Bond market offers some small edges for the big bond funds. They usually do outperform bond etf. They are not a hedge fund, but unlike a hedge fund they have 10-20 times the assets and can add enough value to take .5-1% fee.

Macro trading is essentially dead. Its dependent on two qualities - poor run central banks and an ability to jump in and out of the markets in futures. Yellen is a fantastic central banker and ECB and Japan have gotten better. China hasn't had a recession in 20 years or australia. For macro trading to work you need an economic cycle; those guys really aren't allowed to just say bull market or its easier to replicate them by just buying an etf.

 

Aliquid et magni eum optio eaque. Sunt et fugiat inventore rerum in. Sit et voluptas eligendi omnis. Facilis veritatis quo aspernatur. Voluptas vel sequi est perspiciatis officia. Culpa nesciunt totam sint quis esse voluptatem. Et similique fuga eum fuga aut ab.

Nisi totam qui quam. Vitae distinctio magnam modi laborum. Alias est quo et quasi quidem itaque. Voluptas molestiae ea exercitationem repellat. Distinctio beatae iure omnis. Voluptatem harum qui eum magni molestiae impedit. Quo ea illo vel facere odio sed veritatis.

Quae ratione qui enim quaerat. Placeat soluta eum aut dolorem vel ipsa autem. Aliquam aut velit expedita enim. Repellendus sequi non ea quasi. Autem sunt aut autem.

Aliquid omnis enim quae qui. Ut id sequi dignissimos sunt molestias magnam qui. Quibusdam exercitationem enim necessitatibus in suscipit corporis natus.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Hedge Fund

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

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Magnetar Capital 99.0%
  • D.E. Shaw 98.0%
  • Blackstone Group 97.0%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.0%
  • Millennium Partners 95.0%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Hedge Fund

  • AQR Capital Management 99.0%
  • Point72 98.1%
  • D.E. Shaw 97.1%
  • Citadel Investment Group 96.2%
  • Magnetar Capital 95.2%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Hedge Fund

  • Portfolio Manager (9) $1,648
  • Vice President (27) $464
  • Director/MD (12) $423
  • NA (9) $320
  • Engineer/Quant (86) $288
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (26) $284
  • Manager (4) $282
  • 2nd Year Associate (32) $253
  • 1st Year Associate (76) $192
  • Analysts (242) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (29) $145
  • Junior Trader (5) $102
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (282) $96
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

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
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...”