Assets in global hedge funds have now reached more than $1.5 trillion according to new research compiled by HedgeFund Intelligence (HFI) that collected asset information from over 3000 hedge funds across Europe, Asia and the US.
The HFI research found that the US Billion Dollar Club which identifies only those hedge fund firms with assets of at least $1 billion have reached combined total assets of more than $850 billion.
The research, which was completed February 2006, also found smaller funds in the US below $1 billion – have reached combined assets of at least $200 billion, leading to a total asset figure of well over $1 trillion for the US hedge fund industry.
European hedge funds have also seen strong growth in assets, with total funds under management for the region reaching more than $325 billion, according to HFIs latest data. This represents an increase of over 25% from the year before.
In the Asia-Pacific region hedge fund assets almost doubled during the survey period, passing the landmark level of $100 billion. Total FUM for the region is now over $115 billion.
Added to the three largest regions, further research suggests there is at least a further $50 billion of assets being managed by hedge funds in other markets in the rest of the world. Markets showing robust asset growth include Canada, Brazil and South Africa.