2020 NORDIC HEDGE AWARD - STOCKHOLM, APRIL 2021 - HEDGENORDIC

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2020 NORDIC HEDGE AWARD - STOCKHOLM, APRIL 2021 - HEDGENORDIC
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PROMOTION. FOR INVESTMENT PROFESSIONALS ONLY. NOT FOR PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION

Stockholm, April 2021
2020 Nordic Hedge Award
2020 NORDIC HEDGE AWARD - STOCKHOLM, APRIL 2021 - HEDGENORDIC
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                                                                                                                                                                  INTRODUCTION

                                                                                                                                                                  HedgeNordic is the leading media
                                                                                                                                                                  covering     the    Nordic      alternative
                                                                                                                                                                  investment and hedge fund universe.
                                                                                                                                                                  The website brings daily news, research,
                                                                                                                                                                  analysis and background that is relevant
                                                                                                                                                                  to Nordic hedge fund professionals from

                                                                                                          2020 NORDIC                                             the sell and buy side from all tiers.

                                                                                                                                                                  HedgeNordic        publishes    monthly,

                                                                                                          HEDGE AWARD                                             quarterly and annual reports on recent
                                                                                                                                                                  developments in her core market as
                                                                                                                                                                  well as special, indepth reports on “hot
                                                                                                                                                                  topics”.

                                                                                                                                                                  HedgeNordic also calculates and
                                                                                                                                                                  publishes the Nordic Hedge Index
                                                                                                                                                                  (NHX) and is host to the Nordic Hedge

    Contents   4                   Editor´s Note... Missing the Hot Dogs
                                                                                      56                            Best Nordic Hedge Fund 2020 Overall           Award and organizes round tables and
                                                                                                                                                                  seminars.

               6                          2020: A Tale of Two Extremes
                                                                                      Partner Introductions:                                                      PUBLICATION PLAN 2021:

                                                                                                                                                                  June:            Private Markets
               12   The Model Determining the Best Nordic Hedge Funds
                                                                                      62                               The Asset Management Exchange
                                                                                                                                                                  September: Quant Strategies
                                                                                                                                                                  October:         Value / Quality Investing
                                                                                                                                                                  November:        Alternative Fixed Income
               16                Jury Board to the Nordic Hedge Award
                                                                                      66                                                Efficient Capital
                                                                                                                                                                  December:        ESG in Alternatives

               20               Best Nordic Fund of Hedge Funds 2020
                                                                                      68                                                 Northern Trust
                                                                                                                                                                  CONTACT:

               26                  Best Nordic Equity Hedge Fund 2020
                                                                                      70                                                      SS&C EZE
                                                                                                                                                                  Kamran George Ghalitschi
                                                                                                                                                                  Nordic Business Media AB
                                                                                                                                                                  Kungsgatan 8

               32           Best Nordic Fixed Income Hedge Fund 2020
                                                                                      74                                           Harvest Advokatbyrå
                                                                                                                                                                  SE-103 89 Stockholm, Sweden
                                                                                                                                                                  Corporate Number: 556838-6170
                                                                                                                                                                  VAT Number: SE-556838617001

               38           Best Nordic Multi Strategy Hedge Fund 2020
                                                                                      76                                                      RBC I&TS            Direct: +46 (0) 8 5333 8688
                                                                                                                                                                  Mobile: +46 (0) 706566688

               44                                Best Nordic CTA 2020
                                                                                      78                                                    CME Group
                                                                                                                                                                  email: kamran@hedgenordic.com
                                                                                                                                                                  www.hedgenordic.com

               48                                 Performance Awards
                                                                                      88                                                     The Mingle           Picture Index: Dirk Ercken---shutterstock,

               52                               Rookie of the Year 2020

                                                                                      PROMOTION. FOR INVESTMENT PROFESSIONALS ONLY. NOT FOR PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
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                                                                                                                                            Hedge Award. The winners in the various categories          industry. More importantly, there were many, many
                                                                                                                                            were announced in the week of April 19 – April 23 in        strong performing managers last year, which made
                                                                                                                                            short video clips premiering daily. While we certainly      the competition at the 2020 Nordic Hedge Award
                                                                                                                                            enjoy the traditional event in a group of 150 people        more intense and exciting.
                                                                                                                                            from every corner of the planet, the virtual event had
                                                                                                                                            its advantages too. One of them being that a much,          Heartfelt cheers, therefore, go out to those managers
                                                                                                                                            much larger audience got to see, watch and hear the         ending up as the winners of the 2020 Nordic Hedge
                                                                                                                                            winners and the sponsors of the Nordic Hedge Award.         Award. Many congratulations! A cornerstone of the
                                                                                                                                                                                                        methodology used to determine the best Nordic
                                                                                                                                            Therefor switching to an all-digital format and             hedge funds is the jury board to the Nordic Hedge
                                                                                                                                            hosting the event as a series of videos was an              Award, typically recruited among Nordic institutional
                                                                                                                                            entirely different, and new ball game with some steep       investors. For the 2020 event, we were privileged to
                                                                                                                                            learning curves. It was also rather demanding on the        win Kari Vatanen, CIO at Veritas Pension Insurance,
                                                                                                                                            nominated and winning managers, as we asked them            Gilles Lafleuriel, Head of Real Assets and Alternatives
                                                                                                                                            to send short video clips presenting themselves to          at Nordea, Gustav Karner, CEO and CIO at Apoteket’s
                                                                                                                                            the jury members as well as videos where they´d be          Pension Fund, Helen Idenstedt, Head of External
                                                                                                                                            accepting their prizes. It was great to see every single    Partnerships and Innovation at AP1, Claudia
                                                                                                                                            manager playing along and contributing their clips          Stanghellini, the Head of External Management
                                                                                                                                            to make the 2020 Nordic Hedge Award a success,              of AP3, and Christer Franzén, CIO at Ericsson
                                                                                                                                            despite the hurdles.                                        Pensionsstiftelse. Thank you for dedicating your time
                                                                                                                                                                                                        and expertise to rank the managers.
                                                                                                                                            What did not change, however, are the basic process
                                                                                                                                            to determine the winners at the Nordic Hedge Award,         The “Rookie of the Year” award has its own jury board
                                                                                                                                            the excitement we feel when finding out the winners         put together of Nordic hedge fund managers, who
                                                                                                                                            after compiling and combining the quant and jury            also commit time and effort to the cause. A very
                                                                                                                                            scores, and more importantly, the excitement we             warm thank you to Henrik Fournais from the reigning
                                                                                                                                            see in the eyes of the truly-deserving winners (in          Rookie HP Hedge Fixed Income, Martin Estlander
                                                                                                                                            the pandemic days, the excitement we hear in the            of Estlander & Partners, Mette Østerbye Vejen from
                                                                                                                                            voices of the happy winners giving us a call) – and         CABA Capital, Michael Ekelund of Atlant Fonder and

             Editor´s Note...                                                                                                               sometimes, the bitter disappointment of other equally
                                                                                                                                            deserving peers.

                                                                                                                                            We are still hopeful we can all gather to mingle and
                                                                                                                                                                                                        Jonas Martenson of Resscapital, last year’s winner of
                                                                                                                                                                                                        the prestigious “Best Nordic Hedge Fund – Overall.”

                                                                                                                                                                                                        We have been very fortunate to have strong, loyal,

                                                               Missing the Hot Dogs                                                         share a drink or two next April for the Nordic Hedge
                                                                                                                                            Award. An award ceremony, besides all the gloom,
                                                                                                                                                                                                        long-term partners who express their bonds and
                                                                                                                                                                                                        dedication to the Nordic alternative investment space
                                                                                                                                            should be a time of celebration. After months of            next to many other channels, initiatives and their daily
                                                                                                                                            Zooming, I am sure the next event of the Nordic Hedge       work, but also through the Nordic Hedge Award. These
                                                                                                                                            Award in the flesh will feel as exciting – or even more     relations are invaluable to us. My sincere gratitude

       T
              he final event to the Nordic Hedge Award is a    the Nordic Hedge Award feels like, we are certainly                          exciting – as the first one.                                goes to CME Group, who appeared as lead sponsor,
              very special occasion for us and we hear many    looking forward to experiencing it again. However, as                                                                                    Northern Trust, RBC I&TS, Harvest Advokatbyra,
              times over how you, the industry participants,   so many other things dear to us have fallen victim                           But now back to 2020 and the 2020 Nordic Hedge              Efficient Capital, SS&C Eze and the AMX. Thank you
       too, have grown to treasure it. We get to meet old      to the global pandemic, the Nordic Hedge Award is                            Award. Previously I had quoted Billie Ocean in my           all for your support and guidance!
       friends and new, partners and business relations.       looking different for a second consecutive year.                             editor’s note saying, “When the going gets tough, the
       We shake hands, hug, exchange war stories and                                                                                        tough get going.” That was more true in 2020 than
       business cards, laugh at poor jokes, enjoy the          The character of the final event to the Nordic Hedge                         ever before. After the Nordic hedge fund industry
       traditional hot dogs and pop-corn ahead of the winner   Award is very old school, low tech and sees people                           suffered its worst quarterly decline in the first quarter
       announcement and have a good evening overlooking        interacting, shaking hands, exchanging business                              of 2020, the industry went on to enjoy its best three-
       Stockholm harbor over some chilled beverages.           cards, sharing laughs and war stories. Although                              quarter performance ever. Viewed on a standalone
                                                               we were caught off guard in our first edition of the                         basis, 2020 was an exceptionally strong year for
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  KAMRAN GHALITSCHI
       With the Covid-19 pandemic well into its second year,   Nordic Hedge Award in the pandemic era, we were                              Nordic hedge funds. Looking beneath the surface
                                                                                                                                                                                                                             CEO & PUBLISHER HEDGENORDIC
       we might have forgotten what the real-life event of     more prepared for the virtual event to the 2020 Nordic                       though, last year was a tale of two extremes for the

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     2020: A TALE OF                                                           2020 was a year of extremes for markets, investors and hedge funds
                                                                               managers alike. For the Nordic hedge fund industry, 2020 could be
                                                                               summed up as a tale of two extremes. The first quarter of last year
                                                                               was exceptionally difficult for Nordic hedge funds, which recorded

    TWO EXTREMES
                                                                               their worst quarterly decline since HedgeNordic started tracking the
                                                                               industry back in 2005. The industry’s sizeable drawdown was quickly
                                                                               offset by strong performance when markets bounced back starting
                                                                               in April. Following the worst quarterly decline on record in the first
                                                                               quarter, the Nordic hedge fund industry went on to enjoy its best three-
                                                                               quarter performance since 2005.

                                                                         FIGURE 1. A TALE OF TWO EXTREMES FOR NORDIC HEDGE FUNDS

                                                                         Source: HedgeNordic

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    The Nordic hedge fund industry, as reflected by
    the Nordic Hedge Index, advanced 8.5 percent
                                                                          “Following the worst                                                                  quarter of last year. Drawdowns are peak to trough,
                                                                                                                                                                what about climbing out from the trough back to a
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        the NHX Multi-Strategy was up 4.0 percent. This
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        280 percentage points-difference stems from the
    last year, its strongest annual performance since                     quarterly decline on                                                                  new peak? How long did it take for the Nordic hedge     worse-than-average performance of the 13 multi-
    2009. Viewed on a standalone basis, 2020 was an                                                                                                             fund industry to recover from its second-worst          strategy hedge funds that closed down last year.
    exceptionally strong year for Nordic hedge funds.                     record in the first                                                                   drawdown? The recovery from the valley of the           Similarly, the existing funds of hedge funds in the
    When looking beneath the surface, last year was                                                                                                             index to a new high lasted only four months. In the     Nordic Hedge Index were up 4.3 percent last year,
    indeed a tale of two extremes for the industry.                       quarter, the Nordic                                                                   final three quarters of 2020, the Nordic hedge fund     while the NHX Funds of Funds, which reflects the
    The Nordic hedge fund industry lost 6.8 percent
    in the first quarter of last year, its worst quarterly
                                                                          hedge fund industry                                                                   industry enjoyed a cumulative return of 16.4 percent,
                                                                                                                                                                its best three-quarter performance on record.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        performance of defunct funds too, gained only 2.6
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        percent.
    decline on record. The quarterly decline was mainly                   went on to enjoy its
    attributable to the 5.4 percent-loss in March, which
    was the industry’s worst month on record.                             best three-quarter                                                                    THE NORDIC HEDGE INDEX OVERCOMES                        AVERAGES HIDE DISPARITIES
                                                                                                                                                                THE SURVIVORSHIP BIAS
    Starting with a loss of 1.8 percent in February and
                                                                          performance since                                                                                                                             The Nordic hedge fund industry gained 8.5 percent
    then enduring an additional decline of 5.4 percent in                 2005.”                                                                                Hedge fund indices are often (perhaps wrongfully)       net-of-fees last year and active Nordic hedge funds
    March, the Nordic hedge fund industry experienced                                                                                                           associated with exhibiting “survivorship bias,” which   were up 10.9 percent on average. While these
    its second-worst drawdown on record in the first                                                                                                            reflects the tendency of certain data providers to      average figures are useful for comparison, averages
                                                                                                                                                                solely reflect the returns only generated by existing   do hide disparities. With a return of 98.3 percent,
                                                                                                                                                                funds – thereby, ignoring the performance of            thematic-focused long/short equity fund St. Petri
                                                                                                                                                                already-defunct funds. With no less than 30 Nordic      L/S was last year’s best-performing member of the
                                                                                                                                                                hedge funds delisted from the Nordic Hedge Index        Nordic Hedge Index. The worst performing fund that
     FIGURE 2. LACK OF SURVIVORSHIP BIAS IN THE NORDIC HEDGE INDEX.
                                                                                                                                                                last year – funds either closed down or merged          is still part of the index, meanwhile, was down 17.4
                                                                                                                                                                into other funds, an inappropriate calculation          percent. The dispersion between last year’s best-
                                                                                                                                                                methodology for the Nordic Hedge Index could have       and worst-performing hedge fund was wide, very
    25,00                                                                                                                                                       resulted in significant survivorship bias.              wide in fact.

                                                                                                                                                                The Nordic Hedge Index tackles this bias by             The top 30 percent of all members of the Nordic
                                                                                                                                                                reflecting the aggregate performance of both            Hedge Index gained 30.2 percent on average,
    20,00
                                                                                                                                                                defunct and up-and-running funds. The index was         whereas the bottom 30 percent was down slightly
                                       3,80                                                                                                                     up 8.5 percent last year, but the 138 active Nordic     over two percent. The top 20 percent, meanwhile,
                                                                                                                                                                hedge funds returned 10.9 percent on average            gained 37.9 percent last year and the bottom 20
    15,00                                                                                                                                                       last year. The 240 percentage points-difference         percent lost 3.9 percent on average.
                                                                                                                                                                reflects the performance detraction from the funds
                                                                                                                                                                that closed during 2020 (which, unsurprisingly,         In the graph below, the grey boxes show that
    10,00                                                                                                                                                       performed worse than the up-and-running funds).         the Nordic hedge funds that were not in the top
                     2,41
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        and bottom 30 percent in terms of performance
                                      16,07
                                                                                                                                                                The most noticeable difference between the              returned between 1.8 percent and 16.9 percent last
                                                                                                                                                                performance of a sub-index and the performance of       year. About one in every five members of the Nordic
     5,00                                                     1,59                  0,80                     2,77
                     8,49                                                                                                                                       active funds underlying that sub-index is observed      Hedge Index achieved a return higher than 16.9
                                                                                                                                  1,73                          in the NHX Equities. The 50 up-and-running equity       percent in 2020, while eight percent returned above
                                                              4,18                  4,62                     4,03
                                                                                                                                  2,58                          hedge funds within the Nordic Hedge Index gained        30 percent. A little more than seven percent of all
        -                                                                                                                                                       19.9 percent on average in 2020, while the NHX          members returned above 40 percent last year.
              Nordic Hedge Index   Equity Funds              CTAs           Fixed-Income Funds       Multi-Strategy Funds    Funds of Funds                     Equities was up 16.1 percent as 13 members of this
                                              Index Performance      Detraction from Defunct Funds                                                              sub-index closed down last year.                        About 47 percent of Nordic equity hedge funds
                                                                                                                                                                                                                        outperformed the MSCI World’s 16.5 percent-
                                                                                                                                                                Up-and-running Nordic multi-strategy hedge funds        return last year, but one should not forget that most
     Source: HedgeNordic                                                                                                                                        returned 6.8 percent on average last year, whereas      Nordic equity hedge fund maintain a net market

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                                                                                                                                                              JOIN THE NORDIC
     FIGURE 3. 2020 PERFORMANCE STATISTICS ON THE NORDIC HEDGE INDEX AND NHX SUB-INDICES.
                                                                                                                                                              HEDGE INDEX
     105
              St. Petri L/S, 98.3%     St. Petri L/S, 98.3%
     100
      95
      90
      85
      80
      75
      70
      65
      60
                              Average (10.9%)
      55

                                                                                                                                                              BE SEEN
      50
      45
                                                                                                                  Volt Diversified Alpha Fund, 41%
      40
      35
                                                                              Nordic Cross Stable Return, 27.3%
      30
      25
      20     70th percentile (16.9%)
                                                                                                                                                              With the early possible early signs of inflation creeping up
                                                        Asgard Fixed Income Fund, 16.2%          Brummer Multi-Strategy, 12.5%
      15
      10

                                                                                                                                                              PEER
       5
       0
      -5    30th percentile (1.8%)
     -10
     -15
     -20                                                                                                                                                      be compared to a relevant, local peer group
     -25

                                                                                                                                                              BE FOUND
                   NHX                     Equities            Fixed Income          Multi-Strategy         Fund of Funds             CTA

     Source: HedgeNordic

                                                                                                                                                              by relevant allocators scouting the area

     exposure below 100 percent. Some members of
     the NHX Equities employ a market-neutral approach
     to investing, and some even maintain negative
                                                                                  hedge funds returned between 1.6 percent and 9.7
                                                                                  percent last year. The top 20 percent, meanwhile,
                                                                                  were up 13.8 percent on average, whereas the
                                                                                                                                                              QUALIFY
     net exposure to the market. The average equity                               bottom 20 percent lost 3.0 percent on average. The                          All listed funds qualify for the Nordic Hedge Award
     hedge fund in the Nordic Hedge Index was up 16.1                             majority of multi-strategy hedge funds returned
     percent last year, but, again, the average hides wide                        between 1.1 percent and 10.0 percent.
     disparities.

     The top 20 percent of performers in the NHX Equites
     returned 63.1 percent on average last year, while
     the bottom 20 percent were down 6.5 percent on
                                                                                                                                                              Listing your fund is free, quick and simple. For more information, visit:
     average. The equity hedge funds that were neither
     in the top 30 percent nor in the bottom 30 percent
     returned between 3.6 percent and 33.4 percent. In a
     similar fashion, the great majority of fixed-income
                                                                                                                                                              www.nhx.hedgenordic.com                YOUR SINGLE ACCESS POINT TO THE NORDIC HEDGE FUND INDUSTRY

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                   The Model
             Determining the
     Best Nordic Hedge Funds
        – Combining Academia and Industry Expertise

                                                                                                     Michael Halling, Associate Professor at the Stockholm School of Economics and Research Fellow at
                                                                                                     the Swedish House of Finance (on leave)

                          E
                                 very spring, HedgeNordic sets aside this                             In the second step, a judging panel comprised of         “The quantitative
                                 special time for the Nordic Hedge Award to                           industry professionals assigns a rating to each
                                 recognize and celebrate the best and most                            nominated fund after evaluating a wide range of          model should identify
                           promising Nordic hedge funds. Except for the                               quantitative and qualitative attributes, allowing to
                           Performance Awards and the Rookie of the Year                              generate a “qualitative” score for each fund. In the
                                                                                                                                                               those hedge funds with
                           award, all nominees and winners in the regular                             last step, the quantitative and qualitative scores are   the most “successful”
                           categories at the Nordic Hedge Award are selected                          aggregated at equal weighting to create the final
                           via a three-step process.                                                  scores, and thus, the rankings.
                                                                                                                                                               strategy and pursue the
                                                                                                                                                               goal of (a) identifying
                           In a first step, from the Nordic hedge fund universe
                           as defined by the Nordic Hedge Index, the top five                         DISSECTING THE QUANTITATIVE SCORE                        managers with unique
                           funds per award category are shortlisted using a                                                                                    and award-worthy
                           quantitative model co-developed by HedgeNordic                             From the large universe Nordic hedge funds, which
                           and the Swedish House of Finance at the                                    fund deserves the title of the best Nordic hedge         skills and (b) avoiding
                           Stockholm School of Economics. The model uses                              fund of a given year? Should the title go to the fund
                           several measures of risk and return to produce a                           with the highest absolute return? Or should the fund
                                                                                                                                                               managers that were just
                           “quantitative” score.                                                      with the highest risk-adjusted return receive the        lucky.”
                                                                                                      title? Doesn’t longer-term performance matter? And

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                                    if long-term performance does matter, how long is                            limited but frequent upside and a somewhat
                                    “long-term?”                                                                 unlimited, though less frequent downside. A
                                                                                                                 negatively skewed distribution is characterized by
                                    The challenge of how to choose the nominees and                              frequent small gains and a few extreme losses. As
                                    winners in the main award categories at the Nordic                           Halling argues, “negative skewness indicates crash-
                                    Hedge Award is a difficult task. Michael Halling,                            risk and investors don’t quite like that.”
                                    Associate Professor at the Stockholm School of
                                    Economics and Research Fellow at the Swedish
                                    House of Finance, argues that the quantitative model                         THE JURY SCORE AND FINAL RANKING
                                              should “identify those hedge funds with
     “The ‘best’ funds would be those         the most “successful” strategy and pursue                          The five quantitative metrics are normalized in
                                              the goal of (a) identifying managers with                          order to make them comparable to each other, and
           that provide investors with        unique and award-worthy skills and (b)                             combined using a pre-determined set of weights
        the best risk-adjusted returns,       avoiding managers that were just lucky.”                           to spit out a combined quantitative score. A jury of
                                                                                                                 industry professionals, typically allocators and asset
     ideally determined using various          “That means that one wants to look at short-                      owners from the Nordic hedge fund space, then
                                               term performance because the awards                               rewards the nominated funds based on a wide range
         measures because there is no
                                               are handed out for a given year, but one                          of – mostly qualitative – criteria. The quantitative
             single accepted concept.”         also wants to look at more medium-term                            and qualitative scores are put in an equal footing
                                               performance to filter out luck,” continues                        and combined to create the final scores and thereby
                                    Halling, who presided the process of selecting the                           rankings. The judging panel not only serves as a
                                    inputs for the quantitative model. Success can be                            cross-check for our quantitative model but also
                                    defined in various ways, acknowledges the professor,                         heavily influences the final rankings. The
                                    but taking “an investor-perspective makes the most                           selection process of winners, therefore,
                                    sense.” Therefore, “the ‘best’ funds would be those                          combines the academic expertise of the
                                                                                                                                                                    “The Swedish House of Finance
                                    that provide investors with the best risk-adjusted                           Swedish House of Finance with the industry         is involved in the quantitative
                                    returns, ideally determined using various measures                           expertise of the jury board.
                                    because there is no single accepted concept.”
                                                                                                                                                                    evaluation of the funds because
                                                                                                                 Michael Halling and the Swedish House of           that is where academia can
                                    For these reasons, the quantitative model co-                                Finance endorse this combination, arguing
                                    developed by HedgeNordic and the Stockholm School                            that “a unique and very valuable feature of        provide useful input.”
                                    of Economics considers five metrics: single-year                             the Nordic Hedge Award is the combination
                                    absolute returns, single-year peer outperformance,                           of the quantitative and qualitative scores, which
                                    as well as Sharpe ratios, absolute returns, and                              makes the awards particularly credible.” Pairing
                                    skewness over the previous 36 months. Metrics are                            academic rigor with hands-on industry experience
                                    viewed and measured on a per-fund basis, as well                             is particularly relevant for the hedge fund industry
                                    as relative to peers in the respective sub-category                          given the diversity of investment strategies.
                                    within the Nordic Hedge Index. Whereas absolute,
                                    relative and risk-adjusted returns can be viewed as                          “I think that makes sense, in particular for hedge
                                    standard inputs in models designed to handpick the                           funds, where managers are largely unrestricted in
                                    best performing funds, skewness is a rarely-used                             their activities,” Halling argues. “The Swedish House
                                    metric that was added in the quantitative model in                           of Finance is involved in the quantitative evaluation
                                    2018 as a measure of downside risk.                                          of the funds because that is where academia can
                                                                                                                 provide useful input,” says Halling, stressing that “it
                                    “Skewness represents another dimension of risk                               is important to ask industry experts to comment on
                                    that is not captured by variance,” explains Halling.                         and evaluate those nominated funds” to select truly
                                    The model penalizes hedge funds with a negatively                            deserving award winners.
                                    skewed distribution of returns. After all, relative to
                                    the average return, negative skewness indicates

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         PERFORMANCE NUMBERS ONLY TELL ONE SIDE OF THE STORY
         JURY BOARD TO THE NORDIC HEDGE AWARD

         G
                 iven the heterogeneous nature of hedge fund            return profiles, the traditional risk-adjusted                                The qualitative score is determined by a jury board          based criteria. The qualitative criteria may also
                 strategies, comparing hedge funds solely               measures may not always reflect the true riskiness                            comprised of industry professionals, with their              include longevity, work ethics, sustainability, alpha
                 based on traditional absolute or even risk-            of underlying investments. Compared to many other                             voices accounting for half of the final scores that          generation, uniqueness, innovation, asset raising
         adjusted performance measures may not always                   industry awards, the Nordic Hedge Award does not                              determine the rankings at the Nordic Hedge Award.            capacities, administrative setup, or any other
         be the best approach. The name of the game for                 solely rely on performance-based measures to                                                                                               relevant characteristics.
         many hedge funds is to provide investors with                  recognize the best Nordic hedge funds of a given                              The members of the jury are asked to make a
         high risk-adjusted returns. So yes, risk-adjusted              year.                                                                         qualitative assessment of the funds that have been           The assembled jury board for the 2020 Nordic
         measures such as the Sharpe ratio or the Sortino                                                                                             nominated through the quantitative screening co-             Hedge Award included Kari Vatanen, CIO at Veritas
         ratio are a good starting point for comparisons.               To determine the winners at the Nordic Hedge                                  developed with the Swedish House of Finance at the           Pension Insurance, Gilles Lafleuriel, Head of Real
                                                                        Award, HedgeNordic employs a scoring system                                   Stockholm School of Economics. The jury members              Assets and Alternatives at Nordea, Gustav Karner,
         Even so, the Sharpe ratio and other risk-adjusted              that equally weights a quantitative score – that                              cast their final judgment based on various criteria,         CEO and CIO at Apoteket’s Pension Fund, Helen
         performance measures do not always tell the                    reflects several parameters such as short- and                                with the board being encouraged to overweight                Idenstedt, Head of External Partnerships and
         whole story. Due to the unique nature of hedge fund            longer-term absolute, relative and risk-adjusted                              any qualitative criteria such as reputation, quality         Innovation at AP1, Claudia Stanghellini, the Head of
         strategies, some of which may invest in relatively             returns, as well as downside risk – and a qualitative                         of communication, transparency and other                     External Management of AP3, and Christer Franzén,
         illiquid asset classes or may exhibit asymmetric               score that considers “qualitative” or “soft” factors.                         characteristics relative to quantitative, performance-       CIO at Ericsson Pensionsstiftelse.

     Kari Vatanen, Chief Investment Officer,   Gilles Lafleuriel, Head of Real Assets and   Gustav Karner, CEO and CIO, Apoteket’s                Helen Idenstedt, Head of External         Claudia Stanghellini, Head of External    Christer Franzén, CIO, Ericsson
     Veritas Pension Insurance                 Alternatives, Nordea                         Pension Fund                                          Partnerships and Innovation, AP1          Management, AP3                           Pensionsstiftelse

16                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         17
2020 NORDIC HEDGE AWARD - STOCKHOLM, APRIL 2021 - HEDGENORDIC
www.hedgenordic.com - June 2021   www.hedgenordic.com - June 2021

     PERFORMANCE NUMBERS ONLY TELL ONE                                                                 generation of managers and analysts trained and              diversification,” according to Pontus von Essen of
     SIDE OF THE STORY                                                                                 encouraged to take a more active and value-adding            AP7, a previous jury member. “Hedge funds have the
                                                                                                       role in the organization?” Jaatinen reckons that             opportunity to be very focused on their particular
     “Performance numbers only tell one side of the                                                    qualitative aspects such as “the company culture,            niche, thereby providing a piece of the puzzle to
     story,” Linsay McPhater, a senior portfolio manager                                               all of their stakeholders (i.e. all third parties that are   an institutional investor in the form of expertise
     focusing on alternatives at Nordea and a member                                                   integral for running their operations), the current          and knowledge sharing,” Pontus von Essen told
     of the Jury Board to both the 2018 and 2019                                                       status of the management team” are essential in              HedgeNordic. “It is hard for an institutional investor
     Nordic Hedge Award, previously told HedgeNordic.                                                  the evaluation of hedge funds. “Are they too rich and        to internally create the right environment for these
     According to McPhater, “one should also assess the                                                lazy to care about managing capital?” is a question          niche strategies to take off” and the role of hedge
     business aspect,” including “management, the culture                                              worth asking, according to Jaatinen.                         funds is “similar to the role of start-ups for large
     of integrity, operational efficiency, disciplined and                                                                                                          corporations in many other businesses.”
     rigorous investment process, investment strategy,                                                 Gustav Karner, the CEO and CIO at Apoteket’s
     risk oversight, AuM growth and the client interface.”                                             Pension Fund who has been part of the Jury Board             According to Linsay McPhater, “at a general level,
     Last but certainly not least, “hedge funds must have                                              for two consecutive years, reckons that the custody,         the value of hedge funds is to maximize investor
     an opaque structure, so we can see their underlying                                               administrator and auditor of a hedge fund should             returns and eliminate risk.” She told HedgeNordic
     investments, so transparency is a key aspect,” argued                                             not be overlooked either. In addition, a qualitative-        that “hedge funds are designed to not correlate or
     McPhater.                                                                                         based assessment can help identify hedge funds               behave like other investments.” During significant
                                                                                                       with a “strong risk culture,” which may not always be        stock market declines, “hedge funds are expected to
     For investors, therefore, a hedge fund’s operational                                              reflected in quantitative measures, particularly for         experience lower loses or even generate a positive
     processes are just as important as the risk-adjusted                                              funds with limited track records.                            return,” said McPhater. “Therefore, investors view
     performance profile of the fund. “Deepness of                                                                                                                  hedge funds as a diversifier and risk reducer in their
     research, company culture, talent retention, market                                                                                                            wider portfolios.”
     understanding and investment conviction are often                                                 THE VALUE AND ROLE OF HEDGE FUNDS
     hard to see in numbers, but they tend to reward the                                                                                                            Gustav Karner corroborates McPhater’s view,
     long-term investor,” argues Gilles Lafleuriel, who                                                “Hedge funds are used in various ways by                     adding that “hedge fund returns should have low or
     was part of the Jury Board to 2020 Nordic Hedge                                                   institutional investors,” argues Gilles Lafleuriel, Head     negative correlations to equities because we can’t
     Award. Mika Jaatinen, Portfolio Manager of Hedge                                                  of Real Assets and Alternatives at Nordea. “As part          trust treasury bonds as a diversifier anymore.” Mika
     Fund Investments at Finnish employment pension                                                    of a portfolio, they tend to be used as an insurance         Jaatinen also told HedgeNordic that hedge funds
     company Elo and a Jury Board member at the                                                        in troubles times, as an absolute performance tool           should “act as an alternative source and stream of
     previous edition of the Nordic Hedge Award, agrees                                                or a risk diversifier next to other traditional long-only    returns that do not correlate too much with other
     with both McPhater and Lafleuriel.                                                                holdings,” he continues. “It is up to the investors          asset classes.”
                                                                                                       to define their own rationale and then to pick and
     “Numbers cannot tell about a hedge fund’s culture,”                                               monitor their funds accordingly.”
     Jaatinen told HedgeNordic. According to Jaatinen, an
     understanding of the culture warrants questions such                                              “Expertise and knowledge sharing” is the primary role
     as: “How are organizations managed? How do they                                                   of hedge funds “above the other two components
     operate during times of crisis? How is the younger                                                that they bring to the table: absolute return and

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                        BEST NORDIC
                      FUND OF HEDGE
                         FUNDS 2020
                                                SUPPORTED BY RBC INVESTOR & TREASURY SERVICES

                                                                                                                                           Mikael Spångberg, CEO and Portfolio Manager - Brummer Multi-Strategy

     T
             he fund of hedge funds industry has been         often-inaccessible set of hedge fund teams and                              single-strategy hedge funds under the umbrella of       distinction. “We are both humbled and thankful for
             facing a slow death in recent years as many      strategies. The significantly lower number of active                        Brummer & Partners, moved into the top spot in this     winning at the Nordic Hedge Award.”
             investors appear to have opted to bypass         funds of hedge funds in the Nordics, therefore, has                         year’s edition of the Nordic Hedge Award by scoring
     their services and their double-layer of fees to         not made the competition for the title of the “Best                         high on quant-based parameters such as short- and       Brummer Multi-Strategy reached its second-best
     invest directly in hedge funds. The number of active     Nordic Fund of Hedge Funds” less intense. On the                            longer-term absolute, relative and risk-adjusted        annual performance on record in 2020 after returning
     Nordic funds of hedge funds declined from 31 at          contrary, the survival of the fittest has made the                          performance, as well as by winning the “Jury Board”     12.6 percent for the year. Last year’s advance was
     the beginning of 2015 to 19 at the end of 2018,          competition even more ferocious.                                            vote.                                                   just shy of its record of 12.8 percent reached in 2005.
     11 at the end of 2019 and only eight at the end of                                                                                                                                           “Last year was truly extraordinary in so many ways,”
     2020. The ones that are still up and running may                                                                                     “This year we are celebrating 25 years of generating    Mikael Spångberg, the CEO and portfolio manager
     still have an important role to play for their current   WINNER: BRUMMER MULTI-STRATEGY                                              alpha and we are devoted to continue,” says Jonas       of the multi-strategy fund, reflected on 2020. “For
     and prospective investors.                                                                                                           Börjesson, Head of Investor Relations at Brummer        us, for BMS, it was quite a fantastic year in terms of
                                                              In the 2020 lineup, Brummer Multi-Strategy                                  & Partners. “2020 is our second-best year since         performance, the way we generated the return and
     The still active Nordic funds of hedge funds either      unseated the previous edition’s winner, Atlant Multi-                       start, and this award serves as a testament to          the quality of the return.” Brummer Multi-Strategy
     represent a “one-stop” solution to a respective          Strategy, as the “Best Nordic Fund of Hedge Funds”                          what we’re all about; delivering strong risk-adjusted   exhibited a beta of only 0.06 compared to the MSCI
     asset manager’s hedge funds without charging             of 2020 at the Nordic Hedge Award. Brummer                                  return through a portfolio of uncorrelated strategies   World throughout 2020. “Looking ahead, we are in
     an additional layer of fees or offer exposure to an      Multi-Strategy, a multi-strategy fund investing in the                      that complement each other,” he comments on the         a strong position to keep delivering performance,

20                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          21
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                                                                                           although there will be a lot of uncertainty out there,    that our approach of focusing on high-quality and
                                                                                           so one should always be humble,” says Börjesson.          often difficult-to-access hedge fund managers
                                                                                                                                                     with proven and tested investment processes of
                                                                                                                                                     producing persistent and uncorrelated returns
                                                                                           SECOND PLACE: AIM DIVERSIFIED                             stands out in the competitive alternative investment
                                                                                           STRATEGIES                                                space,” he continues. “This award means a lot to our
                                                                                                                                                     team and we look forward to continuing our efforts
                                                                                           AIM Diversified Strategies has been awarded               of long-term value creation for our clients through
                                                                                           second place in the “Best Nordic Fund of Hedge            2021 and beyond.”
                                                                                           Funds” category at the Nordic Hedge Award for a
                                                                                           second consecutive year. The fund of hedge funds          AIM Diversified Strategies gained 4.7 percent in
                                                                                           managed by Helsinki-based AIM Capital primarily           2020 after booking a similar gain of 4.7 percent in
                                                                                           invests in alternative strategies run by hedge fund       2019 and a 2.4 percent-gain for 2018. The fund of
                                                                                           giants such as Citadel Advisors, D.E. Shaw & Co., and     hedge funds incurred only one down year – a 0.5
                                                                                           Renaissance Technologies. “The fund has exposure          percent-loss in 2016 – since launching in the second
                                                                                           and access to extremely high-quality managers like        half of 2009. “Our goal for investment performance
                                                                                           D.E. Shaw and Citadel, most of which are closed           is to be consistent and persistent,” says Hautamäki.
                                                                                           to new investors, which makes our fund unique in          AIM Diversified Strategies has delivered an
                                                                                           Scandinavia,” explains Miikka Hautamäki, the CEO          annualized return of 3.9 percent since September
     Miikka Hautamäki, CEO and Managing Partner - AIM Capital                              and Managing Partner at AIM Capital.                      2009 with 3.4 percent volatility, translating into an
                                                                                                                                                     inception-to-date Sharpe ratio of 1.14. “Many people
                                                                                           “I am so pleased our team has been recognized and         underestimate the power of compounding effect on
                                                                                           celebrated by the Nordic Hedge Award for delivering       the long-term track record,” he emphasizes. “There
                                                                                           strong risk-adjusted returns,” Hautamäki comments         is no such thing as an overnight success in the
                                                                                           on the distinction. “This recognition is an affirmation   asset management business.”

22                                                                                                                                                                                                           23
www.hedgenordic.com - June 2021

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Specialist Expertise
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Assured Financial Strength
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            Taking a consultative approach to delivering an
        Peter Beckman                                                                                                                                                                                                                       integrated financial and administrative solution,
        Deputy CEO
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            our General Partner clients benefit from specialist
        Atlant Fonder
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            expertise across the entire fund lifecycle to help them
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            achieve their objectives.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            To discover how we can support your investment,
     THIRD PLACE: ATLANT MULTI-STRATEGY                      podium at the Nordic Hedge Award representing a
                                                             testament to the firm’s success in delivering solid                                                                                                                            market and product expansion, visit rbcits.com/pcs
     Atlant Multi-Strategy, the “Best Nordic Fund of Hedge   risk-adjusted returns.
     Funds” of 2019, took the third step on the podium
     in this category at this year’s edition of the Nordic   Atlant Fonder oversees SEK 5.29 billion in assets
     Hedge Award. This represents the third consecutive      under management across its range of eight funds.
     podium in this award category for the fund of funds     In the first quarter of 2021, the hedge fund house
     investing in Atlant Fonder’s own hedge funds.           expanded its fund range with the launch of a Nordic-
                                                             focused high-yield bond fund, Atlant Högräntefond.                        REAL ESTATE                                |              INFRASTRUCTURE                                          |              PRIVATE EQUITY                                      |              PRIVATE DEBT
     “Last year we won this category and it is the third     This is the first pure fixed-income vehicle under
     year in a row that we have been nominated and been      Atlant Fonder’s umbrella. The Atlant-branded                       RBC Investor & Treasury Services™ is a global brand name and is part of Royal Bank of Canada. RBC Investor & Treasury Services is a specialist provider of asset servicing, custody, payments and treasury services for financial and other
     among the top three at the Nordic Hedge Award,”         suite also includes three-market-neutral funds,                    institutional investors worldwide. RBC Investor & Treasury Services operates primarily through the following companies: Royal Bank of Canada, RBC Investor Services Trust and RBC Investor Services Bank S.A., and their branches and affiliates.
                                                                                                                                RBC IS Bank S.A. is supervised in Luxembourg by the CSSF and the European Central Bank. In the UK, RBC I&TS operates through RBC Investor Services Trust, London Branch & Royal Bank of Canada, London Branch, authorised and regulated
     says Michael Ekelund, the CEO of Atlant Fonder.         two equity-tilted hedge funds designed to provide                  by the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions of Canada. Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Subject to regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and limited regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority.
                                                                                                                                Details about the extent of our regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority are available from us on request. RBC I&TS UK also operates through RBC Europe Limited, authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the
     “We are happy for that. At Atlant Fonder, we strive     exposure to equity markets at lower volatility, one                Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. Additionally, RBC I&TS’ Trustee and Depositary services are provided through RBC Investor Services Bank S.A., London Branch, authorised by the Commission de Surveillance
                                                                                                                                du Secteur Financier (CSSF) and European Central Bank (ECB) and subject to limited regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and Prudential Regulation Authority. Details about the extent of our regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority
     to achieve strong risk-adjusted and market-neutral      vehicle designed to protect against market crashes,                and Prudential Regulation Authority are available from us on request. In Australia, RBC Investor Services Trust is authorized to carry on financial services business by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission under the AFSL
                                                                                                                                (Australian Financial Services Licence) number 295018. In Singapore, RBC Investor Services Trust Singapore Limited (RISTS) is licensed by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) as a Licensed Trust Company under the Trust Companies

     returns,” with this fund’s continued presence on the    as well as precious metal-focused Atlant Precious.                 Act and was approved by the MAS to act as a trustee of collective investment schemes authorized under S 286 of the Securities and Futures Act (SFA). RISTS is also a Capital Markets Services Licence Holder issued by the MAS under the SFA
                                                                                                                                in connection with its activities of acting as a custodian. In Guernsey, RBC Offshore Fund Managers Limited is regulated by the Guernsey Financial Services Commission in the conduct of investment business. Registered Office: PO Box 246,
                                                                                                                                Canada Court, St Peter Port, Guernsey, Channel Islands, GY1 3QE, registered company number 8494. In Jersey, RBC Fund Administration (CI) Limited is regulated by the Jersey Financial Services Commission in the conduct of fund services and
                                                                                                                                trust company business in Jersey. Registered office: Gaspé House, 66-72 Esplanade, St Helier, Jersey JE2 3QT, Channel Islands. Registered company number 52624. In Hong Kong, RBC Investor Services Bank S.A. is a restricted license bank and
                                                                                                                                is authorized to carry on certain banking business in Hong Kong by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority. RBC Investor Services Trust Hong Kong Limited is regulated by the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority as an approved trustee.
                                                                                                                                ® / ™ Trademarks of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence.

24                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                21
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                                                                                  BEST NORDIC
                                                                                  EQUITY HEDGE
                                                                                  FUND 2020
                                                                                  SUPPORTED BY NORTHERN TRUST

                                                                                   This model levels the playing field between return-     Nordic Equity Hedge Fund” award, Lucerne Nordic
                                                                                   focused managers and those focused on risk-             Fund, is a hedge fund run by a Brit out of New
                                                                                   adjusted performance in the race for the “Best          York but runs a strictly Nordic investment theme.
     Jonathan Copplestone - Lucerne Capital Management                             Nordic Equity Hedge Fund” award. With the equity        Jonathan Copplestone lives in New York City in the
                                                                                   market rebound from the March lows outrunning           heart vibes of Wall Street and is an ocean away from
                                                                                   even the post-financial crisis recovery in terms        his hunting ground: small- and mid-sized companies
                                                                                   of both speed and magnitude, the Nordic Hedge           in the Nordic region.

       E
              quity managers account for more than one-                            Award model’s focus on absolute performance, risk-
              third of the Nordic hedge fund industry, with                        adjusted performance and downside risk helped           “I am so happy and proud to be nominated amongst
              these managers employing a wide range of                             pick the funds that truly stood out from the crowd in   the best Nordic equity funds for 2020,” says Jonathan
        approaches and varying degrees of net market                               a chaotic year for equity managers.                     Copplestone of Lucerne Capital Management. “As
        exposure. From the large universe of Nordic                                                                                        you all know, it is a very competitive field and it
        equity hedge funds, which fund deserves the “Best                                                                                  is a real honor to be included amongst the best,”
        Nordic Equity Hedge Fund” title? HedgeNordic                               WINNER: LUCERNE NORDIC FUND                             he continues. “So pleased for my investors and
        co-developed a model with the Swedish House of                                                                                     colleagues that the Lucerne Nordic Fund won the
        Finance at the Stockholm School of Economics                               The funds included in the Nordic Hedge Index            top prize for Best Nordic Hedge Fund Overall for
        that takes into account shorter- and longer-term                           have typically either been managed by Nordic-           2020 in addition to winning in the Equity category,”
        absolute, relative and risk-adjusted performance, as                       born managers, have been domiciled in one of the        he comments on the achievement. “It takes a lot of
        well as a measure of downside risk and qualitative                         Nordic countries, or have been run by teams out of      work and focus as well as support from friends and
        assessments from a jury board.                                             the Nordic countries. The winner of this year’s “Best   colleagues in the industry.”

26                                                                                                                                                                                                 27
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                                                                                                                                          Lucerne Nordic Fund ended 2020 up 77 percent and         nominees in the “Equity” category but achieved the
                                                                                                                                          has delivered an annualized return of 31.5 percent       highest 36-month Sharpe ratio.
                                                                                                                                          since launching in February 2015. In addition to being
                                                                                                                                          named the “Best Nordic Equity Hedge Fund” and            “We really appreciate the recognition of our team’s
                                                                                                                                          “Best Nordic Hedge Fund” of 2020, Lucerne Nordic         hard work and we remain as upbeat as ever on
                                                                                                                                          Fund also received the performance awards for the        our portfolio positions and the fund’s ability to
                                                                                                                                          highest 36-month and 60-month performance within         generate attractive returns to our investors in 2021
                                                                                                                                          the Nordic hedge fund industry. “I have never seen       and beyond,” Managing Partner Christer Bjørndal
                                                                                                                                          any correlation between managers’ location and           comments on the achievement. CARN Latitude
                                                                                                                                          their performance,” Copplestone told HedgeNordic         advanced 39.4 percent in 2020 after incurring a
                                                                                                                                          at the beginning of 2021.                                loss of only 2.7 percent during the volatile month
                                                                                                                                                                                                   of March, ending the first quarter down a mere 1.2
                                                                                                                                                                                                   percent.
     From left to right: Harald Havnen, Melanie Brooks, Andreas Bomann-Larsen, and Christer Bjørndal - CARN Capital                       SECOND PLACE: CARN LATITUDE
                                                                                                                                                                                                   “2020 was a challenging yet rewarding year for
                                                                                                                                          In the race for the “Best Nordic Equity Hedge            an active asset manager like CARN,” Bjørndal
                                                                                                                                          Fund” of 2020, the second place went to long/            comments on the 2020 performance. “Extreme
                                                                                                                                          short fundamental equity fund CARN Latitude              market turbulence caused by the COVID-19
                                                                                                                                          run by Norwegian asset manager CARN Capital.             pandemic not seen since the financial crisis is a
                                                                                                                                          CARN Latitude’s second-place podium shows the            reminder of the inherent risk of volatility and fear
                                                                                                                                          importance of risk-adjusted performance and              that periodically grip equity markets. At CARN, we
                                                                                                                                          limited drawdown at the Nordic Hedge Award.              were able to protect the downside relatively well in
                                                                                                                                          With an annualized return of 19.3 percent over the       the first quarter and managed to catch up well when
                                                                                                                                          three years through the end of 2020, CARN Latitude       the market picked up, making 2020 a good year for
                                                                                                                                          had the lowest 36-month return among the five            us.”

28                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        29
www.hedgenordic.com - June 2021

                                                                                                                                    FASTER FORWARD
                                                                                                                                     Make change an opportunity instead of a challenge.
                                                                                                                                  Turn to us for the technology, insight and service that helps
                                                                                                                                  achieve your goals – so you can focus on your core business.

                                                                                                                                            For more information, visit northerntrust.com or contact:

                                                                                                                                                                          Struan Malcolm
                                                                                                                                                                        Head of Nordic Sales
                                                                                                                                                                    struan_malcolm@ntrs.com
                                                                                                                                                                         +46 10 555 5157

                                                                                                                                                               ACHIEVE GREATER

     From left to right: Kai Tavakka, Henri Österlund, and Mark H. Shay - Accendo Capital

     THIRD PLACE: ACCENDO                                     at Accendo. The Accendo team has been “busy
                                                              building our performance and portfolio companies
     Activist investor Accendo Capital, one of the most       and we are perhaps more excited than ever about
     decorated funds at all editions of the Nordic Hedge      being an active owner in listed northern European
     Award, rounded out the podium in the “Best Nordic        companies,” she adds. “Most of our effort and energy
     Equity Hedge Fund” category. This represents             is dedicated to working together with companies to
     Accendo’s fourth appearance on the podium in the         help them grow.”
     “Best Nordic Equity Hedge Fund” category in the past
     five years. Accendo, which is an active shareholder      The fund managed by Henri Österlund, Mark H.
     in listed small-cap companies in northern Europe         Shay and Kai Tavakka has generated an annualized
     that drive, or benefit from, technological innovation,   net return of 16.8 percent since launching in early
     gained 69.3 percent in 2020, followed by a 45.6          2008 to achieve an inception-to-date Sharpe ratio
     percent-advance in the previous year.                    of 0.93. “We are delighted that our track record
                                                              shows that we have been able to create value for                          ASSET SERVICING \ ASSET MANAGEMENT \ WEALTH MANAGEMENT
     “Here at Accendo, we are delighted to be on the          all the stakeholders at the companies we have                         © 2021 Northern Trust Corporation. Head Office: 50 South La Salle Street, Chicago, Illinois 60603 U.S.A.
     podium at the Nordic Hedge Award once again,             been involved with and, most importantly, for our                  Incorporated with limited liability in the U.S. Products and services provided by subsidiaries of Northern Trust
     especially with the year that we have behind us,”        investors,” says Auer.                                                Corporation may vary in different markets and are offered in accordance with local regulation. For legal
     comments Elise Auer, Director of Investor Relations                                                                               and regulatory information about individual market offices, visit northerntrust.com/disclosures.

                                                                                                                                           DIRECTED TO PROFESSIONAL CLIENTS ONLY. NOT INTENDED FOR RETAIL CLIENTS.

30
www.hedgenordic.com - June 2021   www.hedgenordic.com - June 2021

        BEST NORDIC
       FIXED INCOME
     HEDGE FUND 2020
                                SUPPORTED BY SS&C EZE

            L
                  iquidations outpaced new funds entering the
                                                                                         From left to right: Tore Davidsen, Bo Michael Andersen and Rasmus Dall-Hansen
                  Nordic hedge fund universe in recent years,
                  shrinking the number of active funds in the
            industry from 170 at the beginning of 2015 to 140
            at the end of 2020. All strategy categories within
            the Nordic Hedge Index have seen the number of                               the “fixed income” category at this year’s edition of   now with three years of track record, I am obviously
            their components drop in recent years, all except                            the Nordic Hedge Award was again dominated by           happy to see that we are set to win a prize in the
            for the “fixed income” category. The “fixed income”                          Danish managers.                                        “Best Nordic Fixed Income Hedge Fund” category,”
            segment of the Nordic hedge fund industry, the                                                                                       Bo M. Andersen, the CIO of the fund, commented on
            healthy organism of the universe, has seen the                                                                                       the initial nomination.
            number of active funds increase from 23 at the                               WINNER: SEB EUREKA FIXED INCOME
            beginning of 2015 to 34 at the end of last year.                             RELATIVE VALUE                                          The relative-value fund managed by CIO Bo
                                                                                                                                                 Michael Andersen along with portfolio managers
            With the number of new funds employing fixed-                                Two years after winning the “Rookie of Year” award      Tore Davidsen and Rasmus Dall-Hansen out of
            income-focused strategies outpacing liquidations,                            at the 2018 Nordic Hedge Award, SEB Eureka Fixed        Copenhagen has reinforced the dominance of
            the competition for the title of the “Best Nordic Fixed                      Income Relative Value has been crowned the “Best        Danish hedge funds in the “fixed income” category
            Income Hedge Fund” at the Nordic Hedge Award                                 Nordic Fixed Income Hedge Fund” of 2020. “The fund      at the Nordic Hedge Award. “This is a recognition
            has been intensifying with each passing year. After                          was launched back in January of 2018, and after our     of our investment policy based on superior risk-
            a hiatus last year, as is customary, the podium for                          first year we won the “Rookie of the Year” award and    adjusted returns,” Andersen comments on the

32                                                                                                                                                                                                      33
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     Morten Mathiesen, CIO - Moma Advisors

     accomplishment. “On behalf of the entire team, I am      in SEB’s alternative fund offering,” remarks Peter                          Hedge Fund” category in all eight previous editions    than 15%, which is close to potential given the risk
     happy and proud that we won this prestigious award,      Høltermand, Country Manager of SEB Denmark.                                 of the Nordic Hedge Award and winning the top          restrictions,” he continued. “At the offset we had
     recognizing our superior risk-adjusted returns since     “The consistent performance that the team has                               prize five times, Asgard Fixed Income Fund came        expectations of approximately 8% for the year, but
     we launched the fund a little more than three years      created – in good times and bad – shows that the                            in second place in the 2020 edition of the Nordic      the spike in volatility in March due to the covid-19
     ago.”                                                    fund has delivered on the ambitions we had when                             Hedge Award. “I am so happy to be nominated this       outbreak provided some welcome opportunities to
                                                              we started setting up the fund in 2016.”                                    year again in what has become the primary event        re-adjust the portfolio for higher returns,” according
     When orchestrating the launch of SEB Eureka Fixed                                                                                    in Scandinavia within our business,” CIO Morten        to Mathiesen.
     Income Relative Value more than three years ago,                                                                                     Mathiesen commented on the fund’s nomination.
     Andersen set an explicit return target in the range      SECOND PLACE: ASGARD FIXED INCOME                                                                                                  Moma Advisors’ Asgard Fixed Income Fund has
     of four to eight percent per year net-of-fees. So far,   FUND                                                                        “Although 2020 on many levels was frustrating          delivered an annualized return of 13 percent since
     the fund has delivered an annualized return of 6.8                                                                                   and challenging, the year also provided a good         its inception in mid-2003. This is the highest
     percent with an annualized standard deviation of         Asgard Fixed Income Fund has long been a crown                              balance between volatility and stability,” Mathiesen   annualized return among all fixed-income hedge
     2.8 percent, translating into an inception-to-date       jewel in the Nordic hedge fund space. After being on                        commented on the fund’s 2020 performance.              funds in the Nordics. The fund’s continued presence
     Sharpe ratio of 2.40. “SEB Eureka is a cornerstone       the podium in the “Best Nordic Fixed-Income Nordic                          “That has enabled us to reach a return of more         on the podium at the Nordic Hedge Award comes as

34                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        35
www.hedgenordic.com - June 2021

     no surprise, with the fund incurring only one down
     year in its nearly 18-year journey (a drop of four
     percent in 2008).

     THIRD PLACE: ASGARD FIXED INCOME
     RISK PREMIA

     With Moma Advisors winding up the Asgard Credit
     Fund – runner-up in the “fixed income” category at
                                                                                                           Fast-moving markets demand
                                                                                                           reliable technology.
     the 2019 Nordic Hedge Award – last year due to high
     volatility in returns and dwindling investor interest,
     it was Asgard Fixed Income Risk Premia’s turn to
     pick up the baton. Moma Advisors’ younger vehicle,
     Asgard Fixed Income Risk Premia, completed the
     podium in the “Best Nordic Fixed Income Hedge
     Fund” category at this year’s edition of the Nordic                                                   Whether at home or in the office, you need an investment management
     Hedge Award.
                                                                                                           system you can trust.
     “Winning a single year is nice, but being there
     or thereabout year after year is probably more                                                        SS&C Eze simplifies the investment process so you can focus on your business.
     important when investors look for true talent within
     the industry,” Birger Durhuus, the CEO of Moma                                                        For more than 25 years, the top asset managers around the world have trusted
     Advisors, previously commented on their fund’s
     continued presence on the podium at the Nordic                                                        our solutions to power their investment operations. Reliable, dependable, and
     Hedge Award. Due to popular demand, Moma
     Advisors decided to launch a SEK share class in
                                                                                                           secure. In times of uncertainty, rely on SS&C Eze.
     Asgard Fixed Income Risk Premia in 2020. The
     performance for the SEK class should be very close
     to the EUR class, given the minimal interest rate
     difference between the two currencies.

     Asgard Fixed Income Risk Premia’s EUR share class
     reflected in the Nordic Hedge Index has delivered
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     www.ezesoft.com
     an annualized return of 7.3 percent since its
     inception in September 2017 to reach an inception-
     to-date Sharpe ratio of 1.19. The team’s approach
     of harvesting risk premiums in various bond and
     interest rate markets mainly in Scandinavian yielded
     a return of 16.1 percent in 2020 after booking a gain
     of eight percent for the previous year.                                                                                                                                             Best Front Office Technology Provider

                                                                                                                                                                                                   SS&C Eze

36                                                                                              © 2021 Eze Software Group LLC. All rights reserved. Unless otherwise noted, product names, trade names, designs, logos and all other trademarks or service marks used herein are the property
                                                                                                of Eze Software Group LLC (“Eze”) or its affiliates. Eze’s affiliate in Australia, Eze Software Group Pty Limited, holds Australian Financial Services Licence No. 448217.
www.hedgenordic.com - June 2021   www.hedgenordic.com - June 2021

                                                                                                                                  BEST NORDIC
                                                                                                                                  MULTI STRATEGY
                                                                                                                                  HEDGE FUND 2020
                                                                                                                                  SUPPORTED BY AMX (THE ASSET MANAGEMENT EXCHANGE)

     Mikkel Hagel, Rasmus Viggers and Thøger Dam Johansen - Formue Nord

                                                           I
                                                               nstruments traded serve as the guiding                              In the fund management industry, “multi-strategy”       WINNER: FORMUE NORD
                                                               compass for HedgeNordic when assigning                              is a nebulous term with no clear edges. Within the      MARKEDSNEUTRAL
                                                               Nordic hedge funds to their respective                              Nordic Hedge Index, the multi-strategy category
                                                            strategy categories. Funds investing in stocks                         represents the most diverse and inclusive category,     After two consecutive podiums without a win, Formue
                                                            and equity-related instruments are classified                          featuring true multi-strategy funds investing in        Nord Markedsneutral has been crowned the “Best
                                                            as “equity” funds, while funds investing in                            multiple asset classes and instruments and unique       Nordic Multi-Strategy Hedge Fund” of 2020. The market-
                                                            fixed-income-related securities are included in                        funds that do not fit any other clear classification.   neutral special situations fund offering financing
                                                            the “fixed income” category. Funds investing in                        The diverse range of managers within the “multi-        solutions to smaller companies in the Nordics enjoyed
                                                            other funds are classified as funds of funds and                       strategy” group within the Nordic hedge fund            its best year on record in 2020 with an annual return of
                                                            managers investing in futures are – surprise,                          universe makes the “Best Nordic Multi-Strategy          26.6 percent. Last year’s strong performance follows
                                                            surprise – featured in the managed futures or                          Hedge Fund” award category an exciting category         an advance of 17.1 percent in 2019. With a full-year
                                                            CTA category. All the funds that do not fit in                         to follow.                                              advance of 13.6 for 2018, the fund was the industry’s
                                                            any of these four categories are classified as                                                                                 third-best performer in what was the Nordic hedge
                                                            “multi-strategy.”                                                                                                              fund industry’s worst year since 2008.

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