Overview of 2010 Key Trends in European Hedge Funds Eurekahedge
Dec 2010
Introduction
The European hedge fund industry grew at a rapid pace in the first seven years of the last decade, with assets increasing 12-fold to reach US$464.30 billion at the end of 2007. Over the same period of time, the total number of hedge funds in the region increased six times to cross the 3,000 mark. However, as the global economy went into recession in 2008, European hedge funds went through their worst year on record, suffering heavy losses and witnessing unprecedented redemption pressure. This trend continued into the first few months of 2009, with industry assets reaching a trough of US$293.60 billion in March 2009, falling below the US$300 billion mark for the first time since 2005.
