Amid the uncertainty plaguing global markets and the broader financial industry, North American hedge funds have stood out as one of the few sectors that have witnessed growth and the industry maintains a healthy outlook for the future. Even among the global hedge fund industry North American managers have emerged stronger from the financial crisis of 2008 to 2009 with the number of funds at an all-time high and assets under management (AUM) touching historically high levels.
North American hedge funds witnessed tremendous growth from the start of 2000 until mid-2008, with the number of funds increasing 2.5 times and AUM growing five-fold from US$250 billion to US$1.25 trillion. The losses and heavy redemptions by investors during the financial crisis resulted in AUM declining to below US$850 billion by April 2009.
