BNY Mellon Boutique Points to Timely Changes as Most Valuable Part of Investment Process

SAN FRANCISCO, November 23, 2010 — Skill in adjusting exposures to various asset classes over time could be the most valuable part of the investment process for hedge funds and is likely to add more value than either selecting securities or maintaining a static equity exposure.  That is the key finding from a recent white paper from Mellon Capital Management Corporation, part of BNY Mellon Asset Management.

"Of the three components, adept asset allocation can be the most important," said Eric S. Goodbar, hedge fund strategist for Mellon Capital, who co-authored the paper with Karsten Jeske, Ph.D., a senior quantitative analyst at Mellon Capital.  "Well-timed asset allocation decisions can lower the correlation of the hedge fund's performance to stocks or bonds.  Unfortunately, many hedge fund portfolios have a sizeable static allocation to equities, which increases the correlation of the hedge fund portfolio with the performance of equities."

Hedge fund managers who lower the correlation of their investment portfolio to the performance of traditional equity investments are more likely to avoid worse performance in down markets than those maintaining a static equity exposure, according to the paper.

Jeske said, "We believe raising the impact of asset allocation and lowering the static exposures to stocks and bonds can reduce the risk in the portfolio and position it so it better reflects the skills of the portfolio manager instead of mirroring the moves of the markets."  

Founded in 1983 by innovators in the investment management field, Mellon Capital Management Corporation applies a disciplined and analytical approach to global investment management strategies. As of September 30, 2010, the firm had $191 billion in assets under management, including assets managed by dual officers of Mellon Capital Management Corporation, The Bank of New York Mellon and The Dreyfus Corporation, and $9.2 billion in overlay strategies. Additional information about Mellon Capital is available at www.mcm.com.  It is part of BNY Mellon Asset Management, one of the world's largest asset managers.

BNY Mellon Asset Management is the umbrella organization for BNY Mellon's affiliated investment management firms and global distribution companies.

BNY Mellon is a global financial services company focused on helping clients manage and service their financial assets, operating in 36 countries and serving more than 100 markets.  BNY Mellon is a leading provider of financial services for institutions, corporations and high-net-worth individuals, providing superior asset management and wealth management, asset servicing, issuer services, clearing services and treasury services through a worldwide client-focused team.  It has $24.4 trillion in assets under custody and administration and $1.14 trillion in assets under management, services $12.0 trillion in outstanding debt and processes global payments averaging $1.6 trillion per day.  BNY Mellon is the corporate brand of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (NYSE: BK). Additional information is available at www.bnymellon.com.

All information source BNY Mellon Asset Management at September 30, 2010. This press release is qualified for issuance in the UK and US and is for information purposes only. It does not constitute an offer or solicitation of securities or investment services or an endorsement thereof in any jurisdiction or in any circumstance in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful or not authorised. This press release is issued by BNY Mellon Asset Management (US) and BNY Mellon Asset Management International Limited (ex-US) to members of the financial press and media and the information contained herein should not be construed as investment advice. Past performance is not a guide to future performance. Registered office of BNY Mellon Asset Management International: The Bank of New York Mellon Centre, 160 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V 4LA. Registered in England no. 1118580. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
A BNY Mellon Company(SM)