Asia Hedge Fund Growth Slows

Asia may well be the home of the future of the hedge fund industry, but it’s a future that’s slow in coming.

Asia-focused hedge fund assets increased by just 3.9% in the first half. All told, hedge funds in the region now manage US$137.8 billion, up US$5.3 billion from the end of last year, AsiaHedge reports.

Growth in the region was stalled both by weak inflows and less-than-stellar performance, AsiaHedge said. Still, Asia hedge fund assets grew faster than global hedge fund assets, which increased by about 3% in the first half.

“The nascent recovery seen in Asian hedge fund assets toward the end of last year has been stalled due to weak capital inflows, continued redemptions and largely flat performance of the funds in the first half of 2010,” Aradhna Dayal, AsiaHedge editor, said. She added that she expects another “major round of consolidation” for Asian hedge funds.