Switzerland's First Onshore Hedge Fund Launched

by Ulrika Lomas, Tax-News.com, Brussels

28 March 2011

Swiss and Global Asset Management has launched the first single-manager hedge fund, the Swiss Hedge Trading Fund, to be regulated by Switzerland’s Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA).

Approved by FINMA and domiciled in Switzerland, the new Swiss Hedge Trading Fund is designed to offer greater transparency and security for investors. It is to be managed by Swiss Hedge Capital while under the administration of Swiss and Global Asset Management.

The fund is a long/short equity fund and follows an active trading strategy. It focuses on the current market themes as well as the general trend on the stock markets, and invests predominantly in European blue chips.

Commenting on the launch of the new fund, Gerhard Schreiber, founder and partner of Swiss Hedge Capital emphasized that the future of the hedge fund sector is in a regulated environment.

“In Swiss & Global, we have found a partner with many years’ experience in setting up complex fund structures. This was the crucial factor in successfully launching the first regulated single-manager hedge fund in Switzerland, satisfying FINMA’s stringent requirements with regard to transparency and investor protection.”

Reto Barbarits, who is in charge of the Swiss Hedge Trading Fund project at Swiss & Global Asset Management, adds: “Launching a hedge fund in an onshore environment is an innovation here in Switzerland. This move reflects the trend toward greater transparency and regulation in the interest of
the investors. We see a lot of market potential here for the future as well.”

Swiss & Global Asset Management emerged from Julius Baer Asset Management in October 2009 and is the exclusive manager of Julius Baer funds. At the end of December 2010, Swiss & Global had client assets under management totalling CHF80.4bn (USD87.9bn).

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