The 2008 edition of the Eurekahedge Global Fund of Hedge Funds Directory contains information on close to 2,400 funds1. Based on this and related information, we estimate the total size of the fund of funds universe at US$747 billion as of end-2007, up 20% from our end-2006 estimate and accounting for over 45% of global hedge fund assets (up from 43% a year ago). Judging by this and the performance of the Eurekahedge Fund of Funds Index (which rose a healthy 10% in each of the past two years), 2007 has, in the main, been a good year for the industry. The industry has seen impressive growth over the past decade – in terms of the number of funds as well as the size of assets – as can be seen from a comparison of year-end numbers charted in Figure 1 below.
Indeed the average fund size has grown from a modest US$27 million to the current US$225 million, in the last five years alone. It must be noted, however, that the rate of asset growth has somewhat steadied in the last couple of years (from 55% in 2005 and 35% in 2006, to 20% in 2007).
