Super Session # 7 & 10: Has the Promise of Alternatives Been Fulfilled? (A Panel Presentation and Discussion)

Moderator:
Christopher Geczy, PhD, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania

Panelists:
Bob Rice, Tangent Capital Partners
Robert F. Whitelaw, PhD, Leonard N. Stern School of Business, University of New York

In this presentation, Christopher Geczy takes a deep dive into hedge funds and how advisors can use them within client portfolios. What should be their purpose in client portfolios and how can advisors use them correctly? Dr. Geczy will examine what defines an alternative investment after two decades of rapid industry growth, the advent of the famous endowment model of portfolio construction, and the risk/return expectations for hedge funds. He also will review practical considerations for incorporating alternative investments in portfolios; see how seemingly well-diversified portfolios suffered in the recent financial crisis and yet how portfolio theory may not have caused it. Dr. Geczy also will lead a panel discussion on hedge fund construction with a focus on alpha generation and alternative beta.