08/09/2010 Author: Elana Margulies

Veteran emerging markets duo launch new hedge fund

Bill Geisler and Costas Hamakiotes, two emerging markets investment veterans, are gearing up to launch another hedge fund.

The duo formed New York-based Asymmetry Capital and are expected to roll out the Emerging Markets Global Opportunities Fund in the first quarter with 150m in commitments. The offering will trade currencies, equities, credit and interest rates with a maximum of 25% in equities.

Bill Geisler, managing partner, said he and Hamakiotes decided to launch a global emerging markets macro fund in light of expected future growth in the space.

“It's been a long-term view that there will be investment dollars moving toward emerging markets,” he said. “A vast majority of emerging market hedge funds perform much like long-only funds in emerging markets, so if clients want to pay 2/20, they should be getting a real hedge fund product.”

Geisler and Hamakiotes, who co-founded Asymmetry, are the fund's portfolio managers. Most recently, the duo managed Malbec Partners' Emerging Markets Fund, which closed in March. Before that, Geisler held positions at Amaranth Advisors and Lehman Brothers. Hamakiotes previously launched a hedge fund called Global Securities Advisors, which closed in 2009. Throughout his career, he held positions at Solomon Brothers, Credit Suisse and Lehman Brothers.