Alternative Investment funds:
Characteristics & Markets

Course Description

The fund industry is rapidly changing through the creation of new fund
types. While the financial press often equates “alternative investment funds” with hedge funds, in fact “alternative investment funds” is a generic category that can apply to any type of fund that is operated according to alternative methods. It is the generic meaning of “alternative investment funds” that serves as the basis for this course.

The purpose of the course is to provide participants with detailed information on new fund types and how they operate. The course covers not
only hedge funds and regulated leveraged funds, but also exchange traded
funds, managed futures funds, private equity funds and other new types
of funds. A basic understanding of investment funds is assumed (cf., the
course Investment Funds: Characteristics and Markets).

Learning Objectives

By the end of the course, delegates will have a good understanding of

the different types and characteristics of alternative
investment funds
differences with traditional funds
strategies of alternative investment funds
the size of the market for alternative investment funds
methods used in alternative investment funds – leveraging, short
selling, securities borrowing
use of derivatives
legal and risk issues impacting alternative investment funds
the characteristics of exchange-traded funds
other types of alternative investment funds