Alternative Investment Strategies

Introduction and Overview of Hedge Funds and Other Alternative Investments
Understanding new types of investment opportunities is no easy task. Our opening session will cover the alternative investment basics you need to know to make informed choices for your fund. Learn how to define alternative investments and understand the demand, myths, and facts about hedge funds, volatility considerations, and more.

Institutional Interest in Hedge Funds and Hedge Fund Styles and Flows
Why is there interest in investing in hedge funds? In this session, we will introduce you to examples of hedge funds and their statistical trends, various hedge fund styles, private equity and venture capital, and the basics of fund of funds.

Hedge Fund Investing
Do hedge funds hedge? At the end of day one, we will continue our discussion of hedge funds as we dive into various types of investment strategies. We cover asset allocation, performance management topics (including quantitative measures and qualitative criteria), hedge fund selection, exposure analysis, manager selection topics (including manager strategy and business structure), performance persistence fees, operational due diligence, and market timing.

Lessons from Hedge Fund Failures and Topics in Hedge Fund Allocation
As our conversation about hedge funds comes to a close, we will summarize the elements of the fund of funds investment process, including topics such as the hedge fund’s approach to allocation, manager sourcing, manager selection process, fund performance and risk analysis, ongoing monitoring and self-discipline, liquidity parameters, tax implications, and portable alpha.

Other Alternative Investment Trends and the Future
What other alternative investments are available to funds? What investment choices are gaining traction in the investment industry? In “Other Alternative Investment Trends and the Future,” we will discuss these questions along with topics such as mark-to-market rules, hedge fund replication, and current trends in alternative investments.

Equity Investments in Real Estate
What real estate investments are considered alternative investments? In this session, we will cover the basics of real estate valuation, how to value real estate cash flow, the current state of the real estate market, real estate fundamentals and cycles, structured debt and its dangers, the real estate investment trust (REIT) market, real estate private equity, the risk/return profile of equity real estate and portfolio allocation, and risks and opportunities in real estate.

Debt Investments in Real Estate
Learning the risks and challenges of investing in real estate is important. This session will cover structured debt vs. traditional lending, commercial mortgage-backed securities, collateralized debt obligations, and mezzanine debt.

Final Wrap-Up and Program Integration
Our final session of the program. Attendance at this session is required to earn a certificate.