Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 16
Debt Chiefs From 3 Countries Praise Hedge Funds in Bond Markets as Regulators Warn on Leverage
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 16

Debt Chiefs From 3 Countries Praise Hedge Funds in Bond Markets as Regulators Warn on Leverage

1 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · Jun 16

Summary

  • Canadian, German and Italian debt-office heads said hedge funds are improving liquidity and market functioning in government bond markets, signaling a warmer official view of their growing role.
  • The endorsement, delivered Tuesday at the FT Global Bond Summit in London, contrasts with recent regulatory concerns that leveraged hedge fund strategies could threaten financial stability.
  • That split highlights a broader debate over whether hedge funds are mainly a market-risk amplifier or a useful source of trading activity in sovereign debt.

Insights

As hedge funds become top buyers of government bonds, are we trading liquidity today for a financial crisis tomorrow?
With nations dependent on leveraged funds to buy their debt, who truly controls the world's 'safest' assets?