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Hedge funds, financial intermediation, and systemic risk

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  • John Kambhu
  • Til Schuermann
  • Kevin J. Stiroh

Abstract

Hedge funds, with assets under management approaching an estimated $1.5 trillion in 2006, have become important players in the U.S. and global capital markets. These largely unregulated funds differ from other market participants in their use of a variety of complex trading strategies and instruments, in their liberal use of leverage, in their opacity to outsiders, and in their convex compensation structure. These differences can exacerbate potential market failures stemming from agency problems, externalities, and moral hazard. Counterparty credit risk management (CCRM) practices, used by financial institutions to assess credit risk and limit counterparty exposure, are the first line of defense against market disruptions with potential systemic consequences. This article examines how the unique nature of hedge funds may generate market failures that make counterparty credit risk for exposures to the funds intrinsically more difficult to manage, both for regulated institutions and for policymakers concerned with systemic risk. The authors acknowledge that various market failures, such as the events surrounding the 1998 collapse of hedge fund Long-Term Capital Management, may make CCRM imperfect. However, CCRM has improved significantly since then, and it remains the appropriate starting point for limiting the potential for hedge funds to generate systemic disruptions.

Suggested Citation

  • John Kambhu & Til Schuermann & Kevin J. Stiroh, 2007. "Hedge funds, financial intermediation, and systemic risk," Economic Policy Review, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, vol. 13(Dec), pages 1-18.
  • Handle: RePEc:fip:fednep:y:2007:i:dec:p:1-18:n:v.13no.3
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    3. Ang, Andrew & Gorovyy, Sergiy & van Inwegen, Gregory B., 2011. "Hedge fund leverage," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 102(1), pages 102-126, October.
    4. Michel Aglietta & Sandra Rigot, 2008. "The regulation of hedge funds under the prism of the financial crisis," EconomiX Working Papers 2008-20, University of Paris Nanterre, EconomiX.
    5. Michel Aglietta & Sandra Rigot, 2008. "The regulation of hedge funds under the prism of the financial crisis," Working Papers hal-04140739, HAL.
    6. Hwang, Inchang & Xu, Simon & In, Francis & Kim, Tong Suk, 2017. "Systemic risk and cross-sectional hedge fund returns," Journal of Empirical Finance, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 109-130.
    7. Bengtsson, E., 2013. "Fund Management and Systemic Risk - Lessons from the Global Financial Crisis," CITYPERC Working Paper Series 2013-06, Department of International Politics, City University London.
    8. Kurt Dew, 2008. "The Definition of Bank and the Subprime Mortgage Crisis: Tying Bank Regulation to Banks’ Risk-Return Trade-offs in the 21st Century," NFI Working Papers 2007-WP-17B, Indiana State University, Scott College of Business, Networks Financial Institute.
    9. Mark D. Flood & Phillip Monin, 2016. "Form PF and Hedge Funds: Risk-measurement Precision for Option Portfolios," Working Papers 16-02, Office of Financial Research, US Department of the Treasury.
    10. Mutiara Aini & Deddy Priatmodjo Koesrindartoto, 2020. "The Determinants Of Systemic Risk: Evidence From Indonesian Commercial Banks," Bulletin of Monetary Economics and Banking, Bank Indonesia, vol. 23(1), pages 101-120.
    11. Crimmel, Jeremy & Elyasiani, Elyas, 2021. "The association between financial market volatility and banking market structure," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 82(C), pages 335-349.
    12. Lengwiler, Yvan & Maringer, Dietmar, 2011. "Autonomously Interacting Banks," Working papers 2011/07, Faculty of Business and Economics - University of Basel.
    13. Yao Cheng, 2022. "Carbon Derivatives-Directed International Supervision Laws and Regulations and Carbon Market Mechanism," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-13, December.
    14. Faff, Robert W. & Parwada, Jerry T. & Tan, Eric K.M., 2019. "Did connected hedge funds benefit from bank bailouts during the financial crisis?," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 107(C), pages 1-1.
    15. Bernal, Oscar & Gnabo, Jean-Yves & Guilmin, Grégory, 2014. "Assessing the contribution of banks, insurance and other financial services to systemic risk," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 270-287.

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