Alternative investments

Even among advisors who support the concept of socially responsible investing, agreeing on what that term entails exactly is tough.

The $9.12 billion AQR Managed Futures Strategy Fund pulled in an estimated $360 million in net subscriptions last month through Aug. 28 as bets against commodities and currencies paid off.

There’s a surge of interest in learning more about the complexities of alternative investments. Don’t be left behind.

Aberdeen Asset Management agreed to buy Arden Asset Management to expand its hedge-fund business.

'Shark Tank's' Kevin O'Leary assumed the starter role for his own venture into ETFs this month, partnering with FTSE Russell to launch the O'Shares FTSE US Quality Dividend ETF, the first in a series of five smart beta funds.

Recent years have been discouraging for investors in managed futures but some signs point to a possible turnaround.

The team went all in on Kate Moss.

Though the industry reaped 34% profit margins and global AUM rose 10.5% to $67 trillion in 2014, revenues rose only 6.3% to $319 billion, while fees dropped an average 40 basis points.

This list identifies 15 women influencing the broader fund provider industry and making a substantial impact on their organizations. All stand out for their unique leadership positions and for their propensity to help others rise in the field.

Funding for startups hit a high of $17.7 billion in the quarter, from $15.6 billion in the fourth quarter of 2014, because hedge funds, mutual funds and private equity firms all put money on the line.

Lattice Strategies founder, Theodore Lucas, and Darek Wojnar, head of single-asset strategies at Lattice, discuss the separately-managed account provider's first ETF offerings and investment focus on risk.

Carlyle Group will shut a pair of mutual funds started last year in the latest setback to private equity firms’ pursuit of individual investors.

Retirement product providers say that they continue to struggle with reluctant employers and misinformed employees about the benefits of their offerings.

While market trends indicate an attractive environment for new entrants in the ETF space, fund managers need to make sure they are prepared from an operational standpoint.

Howard Marks said the impact on liquidity of ETFs, liquid alternatives and new rules designed to stop banks from trading with their own money has yet to be tested.

This week's notable news from the asset management industry includes a recent SEC roundtable meeting where some participants discussed the potential "unintended consequences" of universal proxy ballots, global ETP flows in February reached a record $50 billion, the fastest start to any year on record, and leadership at Vanguard were tasked with new roles within the firm.

This week's highlights includes how competition is forcing ETF providers to cut fees on products; research on how corporate bond ETFs can help institutional investors manage investment flows; and Chinese demand for portfolio managers.

Nasdaq OMX is making a push to grab more ETN listings, challenging long- time market leader NYSE Arca for what can be lucrative listing and trading fees.

Gold extended a rebound from the lowest level in six weeks after minutes from the Federal Reserve’s January meeting signaled many officials were inclined to keep interest rates near record lows for longer.

This past week, the industry saw Pimco suffer more redemptions despite the climbing performance of its Total Return Fund, a BlackRock bond ETF receiving a record $2 billion deposit, Virtus Investment Partners announced an agreement to acquire a majority interest in ETF Issuer Solutions, and a report from Cerulli Associates noting that socially responsible investing has become a frequent request of asset managers from institutional clients.