Paul Storey, editor, AsiaHedge
Looking back, the Asia-Pacific hedge fund industry probably experienced one of its best years yet in 2006, but this was not primarily due to performance or asset growth. Although hedge fund performance in the Asia-Pacific region was strong in relation to China and Australia, it was less so with India-related plays, and weak with regard to Japan. The industry's asset growth was healthy at about 30%, compared to 2005, but nowhere near that year's headlong charge. Instead, our optimism stems from the industry's structural features and the perceived attitude of investors towards the region.
The Asia-Pacific financial markets have always been something of an enigma to the vast majority of international investors. Huge profits have always beckoned but harnessing, and then hanging on to the money, has proven to be much more difficult to achieve. In the past, the reaction of most international investors to suffering...