Agency theory: A qualitative study of hedge fund activism

Introduction

Characteristics of hedge funds
Hedge funds are compensation schemes for a pool of money managed collectively and invested on behalf of the capital providers (Cumming, â€ŽDai, â€Žand Johan, 2013). More precisely, hedge funds are investment funds that often bring capital from accredited or institutional investors together and invest it in many assets. Hedge funds portray a set of characteristics. For example, hedge funds are illiquid because they limit the frequency of which the clients withdraw their stake (Logue, 2011). The illiquidity of the hedge funds is also defined by the notion they take a broad view of potential investments. Logue (2011) claims that it is nearly impossible to sell the hedge funds on short notice. An additional characteristic is that these funds have little to no regulatory oversight. Logue (2011) documents that hedge funds do not have to catalog with the SEC.

Similarly, the CTTCSD do not require the funds and their administrators to register with them. An additional characteristic of hedge funds is the application of aggressive investment strategies. These strategies are critical so that hedge funds can post higher returns for specified degrees of risk. A further attribute is that managers are bound to receive performance-based bonuses. The largest percentage of the hedge funds are structure under the "2 and 20" arrangement, which implies that the fund manager receives a yearly fee of 2% of the assets in the funds, besides an additional bonus amounting to 20% of the profits earned in a fiscal year. Logue (2011) adds that some hedge funds are overly secretive, but to its benefit. The essence is to ensure that other players in the market do not copy the unique techniques used. The notion that hedge funds are not required to report their performance take questions from the shareholders or disclose their holdings escalate the fundsâ€™ desire to remain secretive.

Hedge funds vs. mutual funds
Hedge funds and mutual funds differ significantly, though some people see the two as interchangeable. Singh (2000) confers that, given the high regulation and strict disclosure requirements, it is impossible for mutual funds to purchase well-defined types of derivative instruments, short sell, leverage, real estate, and commodities. Hedge funds allow short selling and other tactics that trigger sped up performance because of limited regulation. Moreover, mutual funds attract the interest of small investors (Singh, 2000). Contrastingly, only accredited investors, which means people with significant assets, are accommodated in hedge funds. In mutual funds, the percentage of the assets being managed serves as the basis for remuneration while in hedge funds, they remunerate managers with performance-based incentives fees besides a fixed fee. Singh (2000) profiles that relative performance measures the excellence of mutual funds. This means that the performance of the mutual funds is compared to a relative index or other mutual funds within the sector. The performance of hedge funds is gauged based on non-absolute returns, which refers to the return that an asset attains over a period.

Hedge funds strategies
Research shows that hedge funds apply an array of strategies. According to Logue (2011), these strategies are short-selling and leverage. Short-selling is primarily the act of buying securities whose prices, based on the managersâ€™ perception, will escalate. If the hedge fund managers spot securities whose prices are likely to drop, they will borrow them from the investors owning them and then sell them to repurchase them at lower prices to repay the loans. Leverage, according to Logue (2011), is where the hedge funds borrow substantial money to intensify the return.

An additional strategy is known as arbitrate funds, which is a tactic that seeks to exploit the differential between derivative and cash market to generate returns. Zhou (2019) claims that arbitrage funds usually profit within the pricing discrepancies. Furthermore, the strategy operates, aiming to detect anomalies in the mis-pricing of at least two securities simultaneously. An additional hedge fund strategy is a fixed-income arbitrage. Zhou (2019) describes this strategy as a market-neutral tactic, which implies that fund managers seek to profit from

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