The Biggest Asian Hedge Funds Are Only Getting Bigger

The biggest Asia-based funds are only getting bigger. Collectively, the 25 largest funds in Asia had $52.2 billion in assets as of March 31, up from $35.5 billion a year earlier and $22.6 billion at the start of 2006.

For the second year in a row, Tokyo-headquartered Sparx Group Co. ranks No. 1 on the Alpha 2008 Asia Hedge Fund 25, with $8.1 billion in assets under management. Hong Kong-based Value Partners, which controls $5.9 billion, is No. 2 again, also retaining its 2007 ranking. Singapore's Artradis Fund Management climbs from eighth to third by almost quadrupling its size, to $4.7 billion. And although Singapore-based Arisaig Partners slipped from third to fourth, it nearly doubled its assets under management, to $4.3 billion.

Sparx's lead is precarious. The company is in negotiations to sell a majority stake in its $3 billion Seoul-based Cosmo Investment Management Co., a move that would drop it into second place behind Value Partners and only slightly ahead of Artradis.

Several of the funds on the list are relative newcomers and five members of the Asia 25 ranking were not on the list last year.

For the complete list online, visit www.alphamagazine.com. The list and accompanying article are also available in the July/August 2008 issue of Alpha magazine.

 

Alpha's Asia Hedge Fund 25 2008 Results


Rank Rank                                         Firm Capital
2008 2007                    Firm                 ($ millions)
---- ---- --------------------------------------- ------------
   1    1                         Sparx Group Co. $      8,133
---- ---- --------------------------------------- ------------
   2    2                          Value Partners $      5,900
---- ---- --------------------------------------- ------------
   3    8                     Artradis Fund Mgmt. $      4,680
---- ---- --------------------------------------- ------------
   4    3                        Arisaig Partners $      4,262
---- ---- --------------------------------------- ------------
   5                   Tower Investment Mgmt. Co. $      3,000
---- ---- --------------------------------------- ------------
   6    7              Tree Line Investment Mgmt. $      2,226
---- ---- --------------------------------------- ------------
   7   14                       Aisling Analytics $      2,209
---- ---- --------------------------------------- ------------
   8                          Ortus Capital Mgmt. $      2,000
---- ---- --------------------------------------- ------------
   9    5                        Ward Ferry Mgmt. $      1,982
---- ---- --------------------------------------- ------------
  1    13 Asia Debt Mgmt. Hong Kong (ADM Capital) $      1,900
---- ---- --------------------------------------- ------------