Back to school

With the expansion of the hedge fund universe, it was only a matter of time before retail investors became interested in the asset class. But will problems such as a lack of sales force education and the misconceptions surrounding the industry hinder development of the retail market? By Patrick Fletcher

Last year may have produced some disappointing returns for hedge funds, but enthusiasm for them as an asset class is still alive and well in the UK. Institutional clients are becoming more educated about how the various strategies work, and more adventurous about how they allocate capital to hedge funds. High-net-worth individuals and the private banking industry also have a long history of