UK - Trafalgar capital management, the London-based fund management firm, has received IMRO authorisation and launched its first global hedge fund, the Trafalgar Fund with an expected cap of $40m, which it is set to roll out to institutional investors in early 2002.

The company has also made a number of senior appointments to its board including Lord Strathclyde as chairman.

The Trafalgar Fund utilises a long/short equity strategy and builds on a $15 million managed account that the team has been running successfully for the past four years.

The fund’s managers are aiming to provide single-digit volatility and consistent returns in the region of 15% p.a.

Trafalgar’s chairman, Lord Strathclyde, comments: “Our investors are demanding a low-volatility product with strong risk management. We believe we can offer this and yet produce respectable and realistic absolute returns with a low correlation to the market. “The Trafalgar Fund’s low-risk objectives have been well received and we have launched with little difficulty despite the currently tough global climate for fund-raising.”

In addition to the existing management team headed by chief executive, Nick Cremin, Trafalgar has made a number of senior appointments.
Chris Aarons joins as managing director.
He was previously at Cheyne Capital, where he was a founding member of the team and senior portfolio manager for Europe and Asia.

Simon Colson joins the board as chief investment officer from Deutsche Bank in London, where he was managing director of global equity derivatives.
He will provide qualitative input, momentum strategy and risk management skills for both equities and closed-end funds.

Sunjiv Mainie CFA joins as portfolio manager from JP Morgan Fleming and Joanna Janion joins from Morgan Stanley’s private wealth management department where she worked as an Investment Advisor to small institutions and high net worth individuals in the Middle East and Europe. She will be involved in both investment management and marketing at Trafalgar.