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Key takeaways
- Supplementing fixed income with an allocation to multi-strategy hedge funds could help restore diversification1 and improve long‑term return potential while holding portfolio volatility relatively steady.
- Replacing some equity with an allocation to long/short equity hedge funds could help smooth out the overall equity experience, improve portfolio resilience, and preserve the potential for long‑term returns.
- Complementing traditional assets with hedge funds effectively relies on choosing the right manager.
The global macroeconomic landscape has evolved in recent years, and investment portfolios may need to adapt. Traditional portfolios aren’t necessarily designed for the current environment, characterized by structurally higher volatility, geopolitical instability, and deglobalization.
While hedge funds are less liquid than traditional assets, they’re generally designed to pursue their investment goals regardless of market environment. This can help portfolios become more resilient — a useful quality in a world where markets may often swing between highs and lows.
Enhancing diversification with multi-strategy hedge funds
For years, the traditional 60/40 portfolio provided sufficient diversification for many investors. When stocks declined, bonds helped soften the impact. Lately, this pattern has become less consistent, creating portfolio instability. Multi-strategy hedge funds could help restore stability when traditional asset classes fall at the same time.
Multi-strategy approaches rely on a wide collection of independent, specialized trading strategies that seek to generate profits in different ways. The goal is to deliver a more stable return experience independent of the environment.
Adding a multi‑strategy fund in place of a portion of traditional fixed income may help:
- Restore diversification when bond performance correlates with equities
- Improve long‑term return potential
- Hold portfolio volatility relatively steady
Absorbing market shocks with equity long/short hedge funds
As markets move through faster and more unpredictable cycles, long/short equity strategies could help investors stay invested without whipsawing between highs and lows.
Long/short equity managers can buy (go long) stocks they expect to rise. They can also sell (go short) stocks they expect to fall. By using both types of positions — something traditional long-only equity mutual funds can’t do — long/short equity hedge fund strategies aim to reduce volatility while still participating meaningfully in rising markets.
Replacing a portion of traditional equity with long/short equity funds may help:
- Smooth out the overall equity experience
- Be more resilient during market pullbacks
- Preserve the potential for attractive long‑term returns
Next steps: Questions to ask when evaluating hedge fund managers
Adding hedge funds to an investment portfolio is one thing; achieving the desired results is another. For one thing, investors must consider the role they wish hedge funds to play in their portfolios as well as the investment and operational risks. Beyond this, the importance of manager selection cannot be overstated. Hedge funds aren’t tied to indices; they’re tied to manager skill, so choosing the right manager is crucial for investors allocating to hedge funds.
Given the size and diversity of this universe, how does one choose a manager? In the process, answering these questions may help:
What is the historical return pattern?
Examining this closely could help investors discern whether a given hedge fund could help improve diversification or enhance returns when blended with traditional asset allocations. It’s prudent to underwrite a manager’s track record relative to the objectives and characteristics a hedge fund is designed to deliver.
Is performance a result of manager skill?
Strong managers can demonstrate that past returns were generated from repeatable, skillfully made decisions over several market cycles, rather than favorable market conditions.
Beyond performance, what are the terms?
Before investing in a hedge fund strategy, investors need to assess the liquidity, level of fees, and the approach to capacity management.
How does the manager approach risk?
Look for a clear, comprehensive, well-documented risk-management framework and evidence of the strategy’s effectiveness through volatile periods or extreme market environments.
How strong is operational due diligence?
Hedge funds are inherently less transparent than public funds, often with more restricted liquidity. Operational due diligence is necessary to gauge whether controls, governance, valuation, and liquidity management are robust enough to support returns and protect capital under stress. The stronger operational due diligence is, the more comfortable an investor may feel.
The bottom line
Hedge funds are different from traditional assets by design. They seek returns without relying on market environment, which may enhance portfolio resilience in an era of structurally higher volatility. By reimagining traditional allocations with the hedge funds most aligned to individual client needs, advisors may be able to offer clients a steadier path toward their objectives.
1Diversification does not ensure a profit or guarantee against loss. PAST RESULTS ARE NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS. There can be no assurance private equity funds will achieve higher returns than public equities.
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Disclosures
HEDGE FUND MAJOR RISKS
PAST RESULTS ARE NOT NECESSARILY INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS.
MARKET RISK: Will experience equity-like volatility, at times. At times, markets experience great volatility and unpredictability. | LEVERAGE RISK: Use of leverage — may increase the risk of investment loss. | LIQUIDITY RISK: Use of small-capitalization companies • Subscriptions and redemption windows are limited and may be | DERIVATIVES RISK: May employ derivatives including futures, swaps, options, forwards, and other instruments on equities, commodities, bonds, interest rates, credits, other fixed income, currencies, indices, and other baskets of securities. Commodity trading involves substantial risk of loss. | COUNTERPARTY RISK: Counterparty risk to prime broker, and to counterparties for over-the-counter derivatives transactions. | TRANSPARENCY RISK: Holdings, pricing, and other data is limited and thus less transparent than certain other investments. REGULATORY RISK • Not subject to the same regulatory requirements as mutual funds or many other pooled investments.
For financial advisor and institutional use only. Not for use with the public. All investing involves risk. Diversification and active investment do not ensure profit or protection against losses. This is for educational and informational purposes only. Nothing herein constitutes investment advice or a recommendation and should not be relied upon as a basis for making an investment decision. This document does not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any security or instrument, or a solicitation of interest in any Wellington vehicle, account, or strategy. Opinions expressed reflect the opinions of the author(s) as of the date indicated and are based on the author’s opinions of the current market conditions, which is subject to change. Past events and trends are not necessarily indicative of future events or results. Forward-looking statements should not be considered as guarantees or predictions of future events. While any third-party data used is considered reliable, its accuracy is not guaranteed. This material and/or its contents are current at the time of writing and may not be reproduced or distributed in whole or in part, for any purpose, without the express written consent of Wellington Management.