Hedge Fund News: Philip Falcone, George Soros, Hewlett-Packard Company

Hedge fund managers become bullish on global economy (Telegraph)
However, the “bulls” versus “bears” data, compiled by industry research firm Aksia, also showed increasing fears that a credit bubble is emerging. Almost 32pc of managers warned that debt was the next bubble risk. Askia surveyed 168 separate hedge fund managers with assets of $900bn (£560bn) between them. Although many still predict a Greek exit from the euro or a Spanish or Italian bond default, overall attitudes are more positive, with managers “bullish on financial assets, comfortable with the stability of the markets… and less sensitive to the impact of macro/political risks”.

A Frontier Market Hedge Fund Is Killing It, In Part Thanks To Nigerian Banks (BusinessInsider)
In a year when hedge funds are getting crushed, emerging and frontier market-focused firm Caravel Management is up over 30%. Business Insider heard Caglar Somek, a partner and portfolio manager at Caravel, talk about the firm’s strategy at Bloomberg’s Hedge Fund Summit last week. He piqued our interest when he said that the the $225 million AUM fund was “heavily invested in banks in Nigeria.” It’s what he considers one of the firm’s best investments of 2012.

Danish pension fund ATP to restructure its hedge fund-of-funds division (PIOnline)
ATP, Hilleroed, Denmark, will restructure the 789 billion Danish kroner ($137 billion) pension fund’s hedge fund-of-funds division, ATP Alpha, according to a news release by the fund. Plans will include cutting ATP Alpha’s 35-person staff by about half. “The aim is to strengthen ATP’s position in a challenging investment environment — with prospects of a prolonged period of low economic growth, low returns, considerable risk and tight financial regulation,” according to the news release.

Three ‘Hedge Fund Guys’ In Singapore Are Buying One Of The World’s Most Famous Wine Publications (BusinessInsider)
Robert M. Parker, Jr., who is one of the world’s most prominent wine critics, is selling a “substantial interest” in his bi-monthly publication, The Wine Advocate, to three Singapore-based investors, The Wall Street Journal’s Lettie Teague reported. These three Singapore investors, who were described in another Journal article as three “hedge fund guys”, remain a mystery. …Parker told the newspaper that The Wine Advocate’s headquarters will also move from Maryland to Singapore. He also plans to get rid of the 34-year-old newsletter’s print version.

Hedge fund firm CQS loses head of $2 billion ABS unit (Reuters)
Hedge fund firm CQS has lost the head of its more than $2 billion asset-backed securities unit, according to a letter sent to investors on Tuesday. London-based CQS, which is one of Europe’s biggest hedge fund firms with $11.9 billion in assets, said in a note that Alistair Lumsden, chief investment officer of ABS, had left the firm. CQS has handed responsbility for the unit, which comprises an ABS fund with more than $2 billion in assets and a smaller ABS Alpha fund, to Simon Finch, the firm’s chief investment officer for credit.

George Soros Funded Human Rights Watch Turns Their Back On Genocide (Inquisitr)
It is truly hard to fathom how any human rights organization could engage in an internal debate about whether or not the behavior of Iran toward the nation of Israel constitutes a human rights violation. Yet unbelievably, this is exactly what is going on behind the scenes at George Soros funded Human Rights Watch. According to a scathing article by David Feith in the respected Wall Street Journal, Mr. Sid Sheinberg, Vice Chairman of Human Rights Watch, sent a stunning email recently to colleagues. In the email, Mr. Sheinberg makes a powerful observation about the conduct of his organization: “Sitting still while Iran claims a ‘justification to kill all Jews and annihilate Israel’ . . . is a position unworthy of our great organization.”

Does H-P need an investor like Icahn? (MarketWatch)
As unconfirmed rumors swirled on Monday that investor Carl Icahn was buying up shares of Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HPQ), its shares rallied, mostly on the prevailing theory that any activism at this point would be good to put pressure the embattled tech giant. But it’s still worth asking if indeed Icahn would even be interested in amassing enough of H-P’s HPQ +2.55% stock to get any kind of a voice or seat on the board. If he did, would he help or hinder Chief Executive Meg Whitman’s effort at a turnaround? Read about H-P and Icahn rumors.