PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - R. Mcfall. Lamm, Jr TI - Portfolios of Alternative Assets AID - 10.3905/joi.1999.319423 DP - 1999 Nov 30 TA - The Journal of Investing PG - 87--97 VI - 8 IP - 4 4099 - https://pm-research.com/content/8/4/87.short 4100 - https://pm-research.com/content/8/4/87.full AB - In recent years, interest in “alternative assets” has increased tremendously, driven by the eternal search for superior risk-adjusted returns. Hedge “funds of funds” and principal-protected versions of hedge funds in particular have made major inroads into portfolios of high net worth individuals and institutions with relatively liberal investment mandates. Despite questions about the appropriateness of including these products in portfolios and the allocations that such products should receive, adding such investments to conventional portfolios significantly improves risk-reward portfolio performance. Indeed, when risk-adjusted returns are considered, portfolios of hedge funds dominate investments in traditional bond and equity portfolios. Portfolios of hedge funds can be a substitute for bonds and cash as a defensive vehicle when equity prices decline, especially when hedge fund investments are leveraged.