No one will miss the hedge funds

Hedge funds appear to be in terminal decline. Matthew Lynn explains why the markets will be a healthier place without them.

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A welcome trim for the hedgies

Hedge funds have defined the financial markets for the last 15 years. But after years of dismal overall returns, they now appear to be in terminal decline. According to a report from Barclays, the total number of funds is now falling for the first time, apart from a dip during the 2008 financial crash. The total number of funds is expected to drop by 4% this year, to slightly over 10,000.

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Matthew Lynn

Matthew Lynn is a columnist for Bloomberg, and writes weekly commentary syndicated in papers such as the Daily Telegraph, Die Welt, the Sydney Morning Herald, the South China Morning Post and the Miami Herald. He is also an associate editor of Spectator Business, and a regular contributor to The Spectator. Before that, he worked for the business section of the Sunday Times for ten years. 

He has written books on finance and financial topics, including Bust: Greece, The Euro and The Sovereign Debt Crisis and The Long Depression: The Slump of 2008 to 2031. Matthew is also the author of the Death Force series of military thrillers and the founder of Lume Books, an independent publisher.