Alternative Investment Products

Alternative investments including hedge funds and private equity are attracting ever increasing interest as institutional investors, affluent individuals and even retail customers seek to diversify their portfolios and secure potentially higher returns than conventional equity or fixed-income funds.

Key developments in alternative investments products include the rapid growth in hedge funds in Europe and the extension of investment strategies into less common asset classes. Hedge funds are slowly beginning to move into the mainstream of asset management.

A recent development in Ireland is the new Qualifying Investor Fund (QIF) regime designed to improve the competitiveness of Ireland as a domicile, especially for hedge funds. A key enhancement has been the speed with which new funds can be launched. This is of paramount importance for many types of alternative investment fund.

The expansion and maturing of the alternative investment sector brings heightened challenges including mounting risk, competition and regulatory focus.

PricewaterhouseCoopers’ audit, tax, consulting and legal specialists can help with meeting these challenges.