Mutual funds vs. hedge funds: what do they have in common and how do they differ?

Authored by FlexFunds
  • Both mutual funds and hedge funds are financial instruments that pool investors’ assets to seek returns, but they leverage different strategies to achieve this goal.
  • Key differences include the degree of regulation, the aggressiveness of strategies, and the liquidity offered in each.
  • The securitization of hedge funds, such as that offered by FlexFunds, is emerging as a key strategy. Converting assets into publicly traded securities allows for greater liquidity and facilitates access to international investors. 

Among the numerous options in the market, mutual funds and hedge funds are some of the most established financial instruments and play a crucial role in the portfolios of asset managers, who choose between these instruments based on investors’ goals and risk tolerance.

Regulation, limitations, strategies for returns, liquidity, and other characteristics are vital in evaluating the structure of mutual funds and hedge funds, two of the most popular financial instruments in asset managers’ portfolios globally.

In both instruments, the common challenge is to achieve effective management and distribution of investments to meet their objectives, according to FlexFunds, a leading provider for asset managers in designing and issuing investment vehicles (ETPs).

Currently, asset managers face a highly competitive environment where portfolio diversification is essential for investors to navigate turbulent economic times amid global shocks from high inflation and elevated interest rates, according to FlexFunds.

In this context, FlexFunds finds it very important to simplify the distribution and access to international private banking more effectively to enhance the reach of instruments such as hedge funds. FlexFunds’ solutions are facilitating the cost-efficient securitization of existing hedge funds, enabling greater liquidity and easier access to international investors.

Their FlexFeeder solution allows asset managers to securitize private shares of a fund to improve global distribution through a “Euroclearable” listed security.

What do Mutual Funds and Hedge Funds Have in Common?

Regarding commonalities, mutual funds and hedge funds are pooled investment vehicles, grouping various investors’ assets to seek returns.

Both instruments rely on asset managers – administrators who apply various strategies available in each of these vehicles to meet investment goals. Professional management, involving strategic decision making by financial experts about investors’ portfolios, is subject to management fees and instrument performance fees, among others.

Mutual funds and hedge funds are prominent financial instruments, with asset managers choosing them based on investors’ goals and risk tolerance.

How Do Both Instruments Differ?

Despite their shared characteristics, mutual funds and hedge funds differ significantly in their management, structure, and the type of regulation governing each, especially after the 2008 financial crisis that caused a shake-up in the global financial sector.

Hedge funds employ a more aggressive management style to try to achieve the highest possible returns regardless of market conditions, whether bullish or bearish. They are characterized by monitoring potential imbalances in assets to take positions in them (both short and long sales).

One of the main features of hedge funds is their ability to generate returns from borrowed assets, which are sold with the expectation that their price will fall in the future and then repurchased at a lower cost. The difference between the selling and repurchasing prices constitutes a short position within hedge funds.

On the other hand, a long position within hedge funds involves acquiring an asset whose price is considered undervalued to generate returns from its future sale when its value stabilizes. To execute these positions, hedge funds often resort to financial leverage, which in excess could pose risks, according to various financial analysts.

Mutual funds attract a broader audience, facilitating access through digitization and allowing smaller investments. In comparison, hedge funds target institutional investors with larger capital.

After creating a hedge fund, securitization can be considered to increase its distribution—a process involving converting liquid or illiquid assets into an exchange-traded product (ETP), according to FlexFunds. Through this company’s FlexFeeder product, it is possible to securitize an existing hedge fund to expand the base of international investors who can subscribe to the fund.

On the other side, mutual funds not only have stricter regulations but also have a longer-term investment horizon. Additionally, by adopting more conservative strategies, they seek to minimize the level of risk, although they may generally offer lower returns compared to hedge funds, which operate with fewer limitations. In the U.S., the operation of mutual funds is regulated under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, overseen by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Mutual Funds vs. Hedge Funds: What is the Scope of These Instruments?

Mutual funds are geared toward a much broader audience, as significant investments are not required to participate, and they are easily accessible through digitization.

The withdrawal conditions of capital largely depend on the type of fund chosen, whether it is fixed income (such as certificates of deposit and bonds, among others), equity (stocks), or mixed income (a combination of both). Mutual funds are also open to daily trading, allowing investors to buy or sell their shares.

In general, hedge funds are aimed at specialized and institutional investors with more capital. Due to their structure, they are subject to so-called lock-up periods and may require notification periods before funds can be withdrawn, generally resulting in greater liquidity restrictions.

The size of these instruments is reflected in the amount of assets under management in each. In the investment fund group, it is estimated that these assets reached $61 trillion globally, with $31.8 trillion accounted for in the Americas alone, according to Statista1.

On the hedge fund industry side, Statista figures show that the value of assets under management has experienced a rebound in the last decade after the financial crisis and reached $5 trillion2 by 2023.

Choosing one instrument over the other will largely depend on the investment horizon outlined by asset managers and investors, as well as the risk profile of the latter and the capital available for this purpose. In this context, FlexFunds positions itself as a key facilitator in the asset management industry by offering securitization options for hedge funds. FlexFunds seeks to simplify the distribution and access to international private banking efficiently. The securitization of hedge funds, such as that provided by FlexFunds, emerges as an important strategy to increase liquidity and facilitate access to international investors.

Sources:

  • https://www.statista.com/statistics/273704/managed-assets-in-investment-funds-worldwide/#:~:text=As%20of%202022%2C%20the%20managed,trillion%20U.S.%20dollars%20that%20year.
  • https://www.statista.com/statistics/271771/assets-of-the-hedge-funds-worldwide/#:~:text=In%202023%2C%20the%20value%20of,managers%20in%20the%20United%20States.

Related Topics

Talk to an expert

FlexDual Portfolio Details

Dual Custody: Securitizes a strategy with listed assets in a Bank of New York Mellon & Interactive Brokers accounts

Applications

  • Bankability: Global distribution of a strategy
  • Centralized managed account
  • Fund creation alternative
  • Custody of locally listed bonds
  • Design a mixed investment strategy of fixed income, equities, and derivatives

Advantages

  • Trading and custody platform with available leverage
  • Efficient subscription through Euroclear
  • Actively managed by a Portfolio Manager
  • No limitations on rebalancing or portfolio composition
  • Cost efficient
  • Flexibility in the choice of executing broker for underlying trades

FlexRegulated Portfolio Details

Securitizes a strategy with listed assets in an Interactive Brokers account targeting institutional and retail investors

Applications

  • Global distribution of a strategy
  • Centralized managed account
  • Regulated fund creation alternative

Advantages

  • Trading and custody platform with available leverage
  • European UCITs compliant
  • Market to institutional and retail investors
  • Actively managed by a Portfolio Manager
  • Market maker as part of the solution
  • Low value tickets
  • Cost efficient

FlexOpen Portfolio Details

Securitizes a strategy with listed assets in any custodian account

Applications

  • Global distribution of a strategy
  • Centralized managed account
  • Regulated fund creation alternative

Advantages

  • Manage portfolios from any major custodian
  • Introducing Broker Dealers maximize revenue from own trading fees structure
  • AUM remain on the introducer broker agreement
  • Efficient subscription through Euroclear
  • Actively managed by the Portfolio Manager
  • No limitations on rebalancing or portfolio composition
  • Cost efficient

FlexPortfolio Details

Securitizes a strategy with listed assets in a Bank of New York Mellon or Interactive Broker custodian account

Applications

  • Global distribution of a strategy
  • Centralized managed account
  • Fund creation alternative
  • Custody of locally listed bonds

Advantages

  • Efficient subscription through Euroclear
  • Actively managed by a Portfolio Manager
  • No limitations on rebalancing or portfolio composition
  • Cost efficient
  • Flexibility in the choice of executing broker for underlying trades
Logo All RGB FF Logo FF Pos H

Welcome to FlexFunds

We provide our services under the Global Note Programs through several entities that perform different activities. Among these entities are FlexFunds ETP LLC which acts as Calculation Agent, and FlexFunds Ltd, which acts as the Program Coordinator. Before making a decision to invest in the Global Note Programs, you should consider the following:

  1. Independent entities. FlexFunds ETP and FlexFunds Ltd. are not managers of the special purpose vehicles, collectively, responsible for the issuance of Notes under the Global Note Programs.
  2. Coordinated Activities. FlexFunds ETP and FlexFunds Ltd act as coordinators of the different entities participating in the Global Note Programs. However, each of the entities is responsible for its own duties and activities in the process.
  3. Not Broker-Dealer or Investment Adviser. Neither FlexFunds ETP nor FlexFunds Ltd. is a U.S. registered broker-dealer or an investment adviser registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Our entities do not raise capital for clients or the Issuers. We do not solicit any specific products, nor offer investment advice or make investment recommendations, nor do we offer tax, legal, financial advice or otherwise.

FlexFunds ETP may collect data about your computer or device, including, where available, your IP address, operating system and browser type, for system administration and other similar purposes.