Hedge Fund Database Reviews

Review of the Best Hedge Fund Directories -2009

Have you been looking for a quality hedge fund directory or hedge fund database, but not sure what you get for the money? If you are like many of our readers, apparently the answer is yes. There are at least a dozen providers of hedge fund information. Many supply an online database, while others allow users to download the information for use with Excel or other spreadsheet programs. Three of the four hedge fund databases below provide performance information designed for investors and are only available to qualified investors.

Also note that while each hedge fund database/directory claims to cover a different number of funds, for the most part they have similar coverage. Much of the difference in “number of hedge funds” stems from the number of repeat listings.

Best Hedge Fund Directories:

1. BarclayHedge (Overall Winner!)

Price: $4,500

• The BarclayHedge Hedge Fund Database Barclay’s contains comprehensive information on more than 4,000 Hedge Funds and Funds of Hedge Funds. Barclay’s database is probably the best known and most respected hedge fund directory available. Constantly updated, their database is the go to source for hedge fund and fund of fund quantitative information. Barclay’s also sells a purely Fund of Funds directory which is available for $1,200.

• Despite the sometimes prohibitive price, Barclay’s Hedge Fund Database remains the most valulable single tool for investors and serious researchers needing up-to-date performance information. For an additional $4,500, users can get access to the unbeatable Barclay’s Contact Marketing Database which provides contact information for hedge funds, fund of funds and CTA managers.

2. HedgeFundContacts (Best Value!)

Price: $137 + $240 for downloads

• At less than $400 including downloads (or $137 for fully searchable online database), HedgeFundContacts.com is the clear winner in the Best Value , Hedge Fund Database category. Their online database is easy to use and offers more search options than many more expensive competitors. In addition to several thousand hedge funds, they also provide updated contact info on fund of hedge funds, and private equity firms. They just added People Search, a very cool and unique feature, which gives users access to a database (including email addresses) of more than 8,000 hedge fund professionals including a surprising number of CEOs and Managing Directors.
  

• Amazingly, their contact Database rivals that of the much more expensive BarclayHedge and is a much more affordable option for job hunters, marketers, and other research. Because HedgeFundContacts is a contact database they not supply performance information. The upside is they provide better contact information and more valid email addresses than virtually any other competitor and their database is available to non-qualified investors.

3. HedgeCo

Price: $2,500 + $2,500 for downloads

• HedgeCo provides a searchable online database as well as the ability to download the results to Excel. Includes quantitative and qualitative data on single manager hedge funds, funds of hedge funds, CTAs, and a variety of other alternative investment products. The database is of good quality, though with a number of repeat listings. However, at $5000 with downloads, the HedgeCo database is priced at the upper end of the elite hedge fund directories and is only available to qualified investors.

4. Eurekahedge

Price: $3,500

• The Eurekahedge North American Hedge Fund Database provides online access to a database of 2,675 hedge funds throughout North America. Subscribers also get a hard copy version of the database and free monthly online newsletters. While a valuable tool, the database does not appear to be updated as often as others. Eurekahedge also makes available their Global Hedge Fund Database which is available for $12,000 and a Fund of Funds database for $3,000.

Of course, there are many other hedge fund directories available. However after reviewing dozens of competitors, we selected the four above because of the high quality of their listings, frequent updates, and ease of use. Job hunters, recruiters, and those wishing to market to hedge funds will get the best value from wildly under-priced HedgeFundContacts.com. For investors, pension fund managers, and research institutions, we suggest the overall winner of our Hedge Fund Database Review, the BarclayHedge database.

Long Island Hedge Fund Subpoenaed by SEC

NIR Group, the Long Island hedge fund firm run by Corey Ribotsky, 38, is the focus of an SEC investigation focusing on the performance valuations of its hedge funds. Also under investigation are communications NIR made to investors.

The SEC has said that Mr. Ribotsky also lied about the returns and the holding of an assortment of funds. People familiar with the matter said Corey Ribotsky and NIR Group have defrauded their investors, after poor performance over recent months.

The SEC also requested that NIR provide yearly, monthly and quarterly fund performance returns from January 2004 till the present and all documents related to NIR's internal performance calculation process.

NIR Group was founded by Mr. Ribotsky in 1998 and focuses on small/micro cap companies.

You can go to Corey Ribotsky's personal website here.

Or visit NIR Group

Fortress to Acquire Rival Hedge Funds?

Fortress Investment Group, the $27 billion dollar hedge fund originally founded as a Private Equity firm by Wesley R. Edens in 1998, announced plans to acquire or purchase a range of financial firms, including other hedge funds.

Recently appointed CEO of Fortress Group, Daniel Mudd, has publicly stated Fortress' intent to acquire insurers, banks, traditional money managers and rival hedge funds.

Many alternative investment industry analysts have predicted declining numbers of hedge funds as well as decreased hedge fund assets under management due to the poor markets and returns, as well as a growing mistrust of fund managers. But if other large hedge funds begin to poach on smaller rivals, consolidation may be also be a significant driver of decreasing numbers of hedge funds.

Fortress Investment Group Founder, Wesley Edens, was one of a couple hedge fund managers named to Forbes Magazines' "Biggest Billionaire Losers of 2008"