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Title: CFA Level 3 - Alternative Investments
Description: I create this summary of knowledge for CFA level 3 2019 June exam. Hope this can help you. Please note that this may not cover all syllabus, and does not guarantee for your pass, which requires dedication, hardwork and consistency. In case having trouble with any part, please refer to CFA notebook/Schwesser
Description: I create this summary of knowledge for CFA level 3 2019 June exam. Hope this can help you. Please note that this may not cover all syllabus, and does not guarantee for your pass, which requires dedication, hardwork and consistency. In case having trouble with any part, please refer to CFA notebook/Schwesser
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Concepts
Common features
Description
Alternative Investment Portfolio Management
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Common features :
‐ Low liquidity
‐ Diversification : low correlation with stock and bond
‐ Due dilligence costs :
+ High cost in research + maintain investment
+ Require specialised expertises + skills
+ Market lack transparency → difficult to obtain informa on
‐ Difficult to evaluate performance
Due dilligence assessment
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Assess investmetn process :
‐ Manager's advantages
‐ Process to identify opportunities
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Assess the people : character, integrity, competence
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Assess service provider : outside firms support the business
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Write‐up
Issues for private wealth clients
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Solution : core‐satellite portfolio (core stock and bond + satellite alternative investment)
Real estates
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Advantages / Disadvantages :
‐ Advantages :
+ Low volatility return
+ Low correlation with stocks and bonds
+ Inflation hedge
+ Tax advantage
+ Potential leverage return
+ Direct control of properties (direct investment only)
+ Able to diversify geographically (direct investment only, since indirect investment is already diversified)
‐ Disadvantages :
+ High info + transaction costs
+ Potential changes in tax law
+ High operating cost
+ Inability to subdivide direct investment
+ Large idiosyncratic risk component
+ Geographical risk ‐ deteriorate neighborhood (direct investment only)
Private equity
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Categories :
‐ Veture capital : fund to start / grow a private company
+ Venture capitalist : specialist, identify pool of capital + opportunities to invest
+ Corporate venturing : large companies, invest in venture capital opportunities
+ Angel investors : Outsider individuals who invest in the company first
‐ Buyout funds : funds to buy existing public companies + take private
+ Middle‐market buyout funds : focus on division carved out from larger public companies
+ Mega‐cap buyout funds : take public companies private
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Investment stages :
‐ Early stage :
+ Seed money : begin prototype work
+ Startup fund : begin product development / marketing
+ 1st stage funding : begin product
‐ Expansion stage : expand sales + grow
+ 2nd stage funding : support expansion
+ 3rd stage funding : support additional major expansion
‐ Exit stage :
+ Selling via private placements / IPOs
+ Dividend recapitalisations : issue debt to pay dividend → increase leverage but keep ownership
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Structure of PE fund
‐ Form : Limited partnership / Limited liability companies → limit loss of investor + avoid double tax
‐ Timeline :
+ Commitment period : 5 years
+ Expected life : 7‐10 years, with option to extend up to 5 more years
‐ Compensation :
+ Management fee (1
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5%) : based upon committed fund
+ Incentive fee (20%) : share of profit paid to manager after fund is returned to outside investor's capital
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Index : Cambridge Associates, Prequin, LPX
‐ Index is built upon events (e
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: IPOs, M&A, new finance)
‐ Problems :
+ Lack of pricing data → rely on appraisal value → smoothen returns + understate vola lity
+ Strong vintage year effect : econ conditions of the year that the fund was launched havve a siggnificant effect on subsequent performance of the fund
Hedge funds
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Focus on entire group / area on investment
‐ Merger arbitrage : earn return from merger, spin‐offs, takeover
‐ Fund of funds : consist several funds (10‐30)
+ Diversify among hedge fund manager / style
+ Total fee = fee to manager of FOF + fee to manager of each fund
+ Cash drag issue : reserve extra cash to meet potential withdrawals of investors
+ Style drift issue : individual hedge fund may change its investment strategy
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Performance evaluation issues :
‐ Absolute‐return vehicles : fund target absolute periodic return
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g
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Sharpe ratio issues :
𝐴𝑛𝑛𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑛 𝐴𝑛𝑛𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑟𝑖𝑠𝑘 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒
𝐴𝑛𝑛𝑢𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑑𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
‐ Time dependency : Annual Sharpe ratio is estimated using shorter time period
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Benchmark :
‐ Composing methods :
+ Selection criteria : vary, in term of assets under management, length of track record, restrictions on new investments
+ Style classification : vary, as how to classify a fund by style
+ Weighting scheme : equally weighted / basewd upon assets under management
+ Rebalancing rules : must be defined, frequency can vary (monthly to annually)
‐ Index providers:
+ CISDM : cover both hedge funds and managed futures
+ Credit Suisse : multiple benchmark for different strategies; weighting based upon assets under management
+ EACM Advisers : equally weighted 100 funds in many categories
+ Hedge fund intelligence : equally hedge fund invested in Europe and Asia
+ Hedgefund
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Definition :
‐ Direct purchase :
+ purchase of physical commodity (agrcultural products, oil, metal) → incur storage costs
+ purchase derivatives (futures)
‐ Indirect purchase : investment in companies with principal business related to a commodity → not tracked well with change in commodity price
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Factors affect ability to hedge inflation :
+ Storability
+ Demand relative to economic activity : less sensitive ti economic activities → be er hedge
Managed futures
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Methods of investment :
‐ Private coomdity pools
‐ Managed futures programs as separately managed accounts
‐ Publicly traded commodity futures funds
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Risk : vary
‐ standard deviation : less than equities, but more than bonds
‐ Correlations :
+ with equities : low, often negative
+ with bonds : higher than correlation with equities, but less than 0
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Role in portfolio : diversification
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Benchmark :
‐ Mount Lucas Management Index (MLMI) : return to a mechanical, trend following strategy (both long and short position; trading rules based on technical indicators)
‐ BarclayHedge and CISDM CTA : based on peer‐group commodity trading advisors (CTAs), using equal weighted‐returns
‐ BarclayTraders : based on level of discretionary management + underlying market + systematic strategies
Distressed securities
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Risk :
‐ Event risk : return depend on an event for a particular company → unrelated to the economy → provide diversifica on
‐ Market liquidity risk : low liquidity + cyclical supply and demand for these investments
‐ Market risk : changes in macroeconomic
‐ J‐factor risk : role of court and judge → unpredictable human element added
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Benchmark : index providers for hedge funds have sub‐index for distressed securities
Title: CFA Level 3 - Alternative Investments
Description: I create this summary of knowledge for CFA level 3 2019 June exam. Hope this can help you. Please note that this may not cover all syllabus, and does not guarantee for your pass, which requires dedication, hardwork and consistency. In case having trouble with any part, please refer to CFA notebook/Schwesser
Description: I create this summary of knowledge for CFA level 3 2019 June exam. Hope this can help you. Please note that this may not cover all syllabus, and does not guarantee for your pass, which requires dedication, hardwork and consistency. In case having trouble with any part, please refer to CFA notebook/Schwesser