HSBC today suspended the conversion facility on its Global Absolute Fund as the board weighs up the future of the investment trust.

The fund of hedge funds currently has assets under management of £68 million and has been the top performer in the AIC sector over five years.  However, the fund, managed by HSBC Private Bank is now being considered for closure.

Speaking exclusively to What Investment.co.uk, Noel von Kaltenborn, investment adviser at HSBC, said that the investment performance of the fund has been in keeping with its mandate.

He explained, ‘It is in line with the performance of the larger fund offshore which it mirrors. We are happy with the performance but the liquidity in shares is very limited and the discount on NAV has also become an issue.

‘We are looking at a range of options. We have always tried to offer liquidity to clients. We have tried to stick as closely as possible to the policy outlined in the prospectus.’

The decision to suspend the conversion facility means that the fund’s board will not have any over-hanging administration problems should it decide to merge or close the fund.

Conversions can take around six weeks to complete, and with lawyers still thrashing out the options, it was deemed undesirable to have a handful of conversions potentially slowing down any outcome in March.

HSBC said a further announcement to shareholders will be made before the end of March 2010.