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hedge fund

finance
Written byPeter Bondarenko
Peter Bondarenko
Former Assistant Editor, Economics, Encyclopædia Britannica.
Fact-checked byThe Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
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hedge fund, a company that manages investment portfolios with the goal of generating high returns. A hedge fund collects monetary contributions from its customers and creates portfolios by investing that pool of money across a variety of financial instruments. The goal of a hedge fund is to develop investment strategies to maximize returns for its customers’ portfolios.

Hedge funds are similar to mutual funds in the sense that both are in the business of managing a pool of money, but hedge-fund managers generally have far more flexibility in choosing their investment strategies. That freedom allows them to take on higher risks in search of higher returns.

Hedge funds operate in much of the developed world, and many manage billion-dollar portfolios. Participation in a hedge fund often requires a large initial monetary investment, usually more than $1 million, and is therefore limited to a small group of high-net-worth investors.

Peter Bondarenko