Japan hedge fund first in umbrella

By Dylan Emery Martin Currie is taking its first step into the hedge fund arena with the launch of a long/short Japanese equity fund. The Martin Currie Absolute Funds Japan will be run by a team headed by Michael Thomas and Keith Donaldson and will attempt to profit both from the companies that are succeeding in the new economy and also from the stocks that suffer because of the sell-off of cross-held shares. Andy McLeod, who heads the marketing for offshore funds, said: "This is our first venture into hedge funds. We have a good Japanese team with an excellent long-term track record. Th...