SEC Release of Private Fund Statistics Illuminates Key Trends in Hedge Fund Industry

The Risk and Examinations Office of the SEC Division of Investment Management recently released a compilation of Private Fund Statistics (Report) that provides data from filers of Form PF and Form ADV in 2013 and 2014.  In a recent speech, SEC Chair Mary Jo White said of the Report, “The public availability of aggregated information should help to address persistent questions, and to some degree misconceptions, about the practices and size of the private fund industry.”  Accordingly, the data in the Report helps identify trends within the hedge fund industry, allowing hedge fund advisers to benchmark themselves against their peers and competitors, as well as providing investors with information to refine their due diligence processes.  This article examines the Report, focusing particularly on data relevant to hedge funds and hedge fund advisers, including leverage and liquidity practices.  The SEC also issues an annual report on how it uses such data.  See “Report Describes the SEC’s Use of Form PF for Hedge Fund Manager Examination Targeting and Risk Management,” Hedge Fund Law Report, Vol. 7, No. 38 (Oct. 10, 2014); and “SEC’s First Report on Initial Form PF Filings Offers Insight into How the Agency Is Using the Collected Data for Examinations, Enforcement and Systemic Risk Monitoring,” Hedge Fund Law Report, Vol. 6, No. 34 (Aug. 29, 2013).

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