Apparently, there was a reason that Soros was 75% in cash. He is getting out of the hedge fund business altogether, liquidating assets and returning the funds to investors.
Last Tuesday Bloomberg said that Soros’ $25 billion Quantum Endowment Fund told portfolio managers to pull back after choppy markets caused them to lose 6% in the year-to-date. The fund was reported to be 75% in cash and waiting for better opportunities.
Soros himself was quoted as saying, “I find the current situation much more baffling and much less predictable than I did at the time of the height of the financial crisis.” The article went on to explain how the markets were especially tricky and why some saw big moves developing.
But now, Bloomberg is reporting that Soros is exiting the hedge fund business altogether. The move was partly explained by new financial regulations which would have necessitated the firm’s registering with the SEC by March 2012 if it managed money for outsiders. This is part of an attempt to bring the shadow banking world under the supervisory umbrella of government in the aftermath of the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy in 2008.
However, I imagine this move is not just about an attempt to avoid regulation. Soros’ earlier comments point to turbulence ahead. Now is a perfect time to wind down the business after a stellar 40-year record.
Bloomberg has a lot more at the link below.