Stockholm (HedgeNordic) – Danske Bank Asset Management has expanded its portfolio of hedge funds with the launch of a new Europe-focused long/short equity fund. Launched at the end of March this year, Danske Invest Europe Long-Short Equity Factors has now joined the Nordic Hedge Index.
Danske Invest Europe Long-Short Equity Factors employs a long/short equity strategy in European equities, taking long exposure to stocks anticipated to increase in price and short exposure to stocks expected to decline in price or offset the volatility of the long portfolio. Managed by chief portfolio manager René Ebbesen, the fund’s security selection process is based on a quantitative model that incorporates factors such as value, momentum, and quality.
René Ebbesen, who has been at Danske since 1999, has a quarter of a century of experience in financial markets and works as a chief portfolio manager in the Equity Risk Premia team. In addition to managing the newly launched fund, Ebbesen also oversees long-only equity funds such as Danske Invest USA Equity Fund and others.
After Danske Bank Asset Management was named the best asset manager in the Nordic region in 2018 by research institute Prospera, Atilla Olesen, Global Head of Distribution at Danske’s asset management arm, indicated plans to launch new hedge funds in 2019. “Alternative investments have become an important and much sought-after asset class that has the potential to improve a customer’s risk-adjusted return. We have launched new hedge funds in the past year and have more on the cards for the year ahead,” he said.
Danske Bank Asset Management launched two hedge funds last year, Danske Invest Global Cross Asset Volatility and Danske Invest Fixed Income Global Value, and plans to strengthen the hedge fund offering going forward. As Michael Petry, head of hedge funds at Danske Bank Asset Management, told HedgeNordic last year: “we have seen increased demand from our clients asking for products with a focus on absolute positive returns.”
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