The Financial Services Authority (FSA) has voiced concerns over hedge fund managers’ ability to manage funds within the UCITS III framework.

The convergence between traditional and alternative asset managers has been identified as a key theme for the year ahead. However, warnings have already been issued about hedge fund strategies migrating to a UCITS III structure.

Dean Cheeseman, head of multi-manager at F&C, believes the arrival of hedge fund groups into the retail space has been hugely positive so far as it has increased access to managers with proven experience of long/short investing.

However, he warns retail investors need to be fully aware of what they are buying.

Collins Stewart Fund Management has welcomed the recent warnings from the FSA. Mike Brown, head of fund sales at Colins Stewart, said, ‘As the universe of funds increases it becomes more and more difficult for fund pickers to identify those managers that will cope with the UCITS restrictions and therefore, turning to a fund of absolute return funds, managed by a team of experienced hedge fund selectors, to achieve the sector exposure could be the answer.’

Recent debate sees the industry split over the ability of hedge fund managers to manage versions of their portfolios within the UCITS restrictions.

Managing a fund with certain regulatory restrictions on types of investments as well as daily or weekly liquidity requires a very different skill-set to one which has a longer liquidity profile, lock-ins and the ability to impose a gate, if necessary.

Brown added, ‘Hedge fund selection is a highly sophisticated exercise, and we believe that exactly the same applies to Absolute Return products, and that caution must be applied. Turning to experienced hedge fund pickers with a proven track record is a potential solution.’