Hedge Funds and CTAs

Ping Capital Management's Exceptional Value Fund soared 192.81% last year, with double-digit returns in each of the last five months of 2009.

The 50 biggest hedge fund firms in the U.K.—home to the overwhelming majority of the European hedge fund industry—have borrowings of only twice their total assets of US$300 billion, the October survey shows.

The investment firm has renamed the unit, which it bought last February, for the occasion.

Maverick Capital, Moore Capital, Stark Investments and Viking Global Investors are all planning to open offices in the region over the next few months.

A survey of hedge fund managers shows across-the-board increases in interest in investing in both distressed debt and equity over the next 12 months.

Singapore-based commodity hedge fund Aisling Analytics is going long—and short—equities.

Aisling is readying a US$300 million fund investing in commodities and natural resources companies. While the Merchant Equity Fund will invest globally, it will focus on Aisling’s home base of Asia.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is yanking $5 billion from Quadrangle Group, the private equity firm caught up in the pay-to-play scandal at a New York State public pension fund.

Todd Kaplan will serve as vice chairman of global banking at Bank of America, which acquired Merrill Lynch at the end of 2008.

Former Man Group CEO Stanley Fink will step down as co-treasurer of Britain’s Conservative Party following this year’s election, one the Tories are widely expected to win.

Mark Werner, who served as president of global macro shop Graham Capital Management for a year and a half after leaving BofA, is now heading Pierpont Securities Holdings.