Table of Contents
What is a hedge fund?
What is an index fund?
Differences between hedge funds and index funds
What is a fund of hedge funds?
FAQs about hedge funds and index funds
The bottom line
Want to speak with someone?
Still unsure and want to speak with someone? Set up a time here.
Schedule a callHedge Funds vs. Index Funds: Key Differences
Sep 9, 2022
·
6 min read
Hedge funds and index funds take almost diametrically opposed approaches to investing. Hedge funds use active management strategies while index funds seek a passive approach.
It was one of the most famous bets in Wall Street history. Legendary investor Warren Buffett in early 2008 posed a challenge to the hedge fund industry: For the next 10 years, a simple index fund tracking the stock market would outperform hedge funds. He put up $1 million for the bet, using a large, well-known fund tracking the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, and a hedge fund manager took the other side, using five funds.
The winner, hands down: Warren Buffett and index funds. The hedge fund manager conceded in September 2017, a few months before the bet's term ended. The average annual gain for the S&P 500 fund was 8.5%, or about 125% compounded for the decade. That means $1 million invested in the index fund more than doubled to about $2.25 million. For the hedge funds—not so much. The best one averaged 6.5% a year, or about 88% compounded. The worst returned 0.3% a year, or 2.8% compounded.
The contest was about two different investing styles: active versus passive management of investors’ money.
By the way, if you're curious about how compounding could potentially affect your investment returns over a period of time, check out Titan's Compound Interest Calculator.
A hedge fund is a pool of money collected from high net worth investors and institutions that is actively managed by a hedge fund manager. The manager buys and sells different stocks, as well as other financial instruments such as derivatives, in an effort to generate returns for fund investors. Their goal is to beat the market—to perform better than broad market averages. Hedge fund managers usually have a stake in their funds.
Hedge funds tend to produce better results when markets are volatile or declining, when they have more opportunities to profit from short selling securities or from trading assets that have low correlation—meaning their prices tend not to move in the same direction as the broader market.
It’s possible to think of each hedge fund as an experiment, with the manager trying out ideas in trading securities, derivatives, and other assets. This often entails:
An index fund, in contrast to a hedge fund, is a pool of money collected from big and small investors that is passively managed. Its strategy is simple: follow the moves in a designated, widely known market index. The most commonly used index is the S&P 500, composed of 500 of the largest-cap companies, which together account for almost 75% of the total US stock market. The S&P 500 thus is often cited as a proxy for the entire stock market. Their goals differ from hedge funds in the following ways:
Some index funds are available as mutual funds, and others are exchange-traded funds (ETFs).
Retirement mistake finder
Take our retirement analyzer to find ways to better optimize your retirement investments.
Retirement AnalyzerThere are a number of key differences between hedge funds and index funds to consider:
A fund of hedge funds is simply a hedge fund that invests in other hedge funds, like a hedge-fund conglomerate. Instead of creating its own portfolio from scratch by buying and selling particular securities, this fund takes stakes in other funds that already have portfolios. The fund of funds creates diversification through these stakes—for example, a stake in a hedge fund focused on stocks, another stake in a hedge fund trading in government bonds, and another in a macro hedge fund that bets on macroeconomic factors such as changes in interest rates and foreign exchange.
Buffett’s contest with hedge funds actually was against five funds of funds, which in turn, according to Buffett, owned interests in more than 200 hedge funds. Buffett relished doing his review after the bet concluded, noting how the hedge fund managers brought an arsenal of “brains, adrenaline, and confidence” to the contest, yet couldn’t come close to producing the results of low-cost, low-maintenance index funds.
Hedge-fund investors often are more focused on preserving their wealth. They have already made lots of money; now they want to protect it from big market declines. At the same time, wealthy investors can afford to take the risk of a hedge-fund strategy. A billionaire, for example, could drop $1 million into a hedge fund and not be financially crippled if the fund’s strategy fails.
Typically, the average return on index funds will come close to the referenced index’s return. For instance, for the year-to-date as of Dec. 15, 2021, the S&P 500 had a total return of 24.6%. The Vanguard 500 Index Admiral Fund, used in Buffett’s bet, had returned 23.8% during the same period. Index funds tracking the tech-focused NASDAQ index did a few points better.
The average hedge fund return and the industry’s long record of underperformance has been well-established. That’s not to say there aren’t some big winners. Renaissance Technologies’ mathematically driven Medallion Fund has averaged 66% annual returns (39% after fees) since 1988, and reportedly racked up 76% in 2020. Pershing Square Capital’s activist investing strategy focusing on a handful of undervalued companies produced a 70% return in 2020.
Hedge funds and index funds take almost diametrically opposed approaches to investing. Hedge funds use active management strategies to try and beat markets, though they often don’t succeed. Index funds seek merely to match a benchmark with a low-cost, passive approach. Their target investors also differ: Hedge funds are more suited to wealthy individuals and large institutions with higher tolerance for risk, while index funds are designed to appeal to average investors.
At Titan, we are value investors: we aim to manage our portfolios with a steady focus on fundamentals and an eye on massive long-term growth potential. Investing with Titan is easy, transparent, and effective.
Get started today.
Disclosures
Certain information contained in here has been obtained from third-party sources. While taken from sources believed to be reliable, Titan has not independently verified such information and makes no representations about the accuracy of the information or its appropriateness for a given situation. In addition, this content may include third-party advertisements; Titan has not reviewed such advertisements and does not endorse any advertising content contained therein.
This content is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities or digital assets are for illustrative purposes only and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investors or prospective investors, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any strategy managed by Titan. Any investments referred to, or described are not representative of all investments in strategies managed by Titan, and there can be no assurance that the investments will be profitable or that other investments made in the future will have similar characteristics or results.
Charts and graphs provided within are for informational purposes solely and should not be relied upon when making any investment decision. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The content speaks only as of the date indicated. Any projections, estimates, forecasts, targets, prospects, and/or opinions expressed in these materials are subject to change without notice and may differ or be contrary to opinions expressed by others. Please see Titan’s Legal Page for additional important information.
You might also like
7 Top Hedge Funds Ranked By Assets Under Management
Taken together, hedge funds can aid diversification and lower risk in the stock and bond markets, making them a useful for professional and institutional investors alike.
Read More
Hedge Funds vs. Mutual Funds: What’s the Difference?
There are a couple of notable similarities between mutual funds and hedge funds and several differences. They are both pools of money collected from individual and institutional investors.
Read More
Hedge Fund Trading Strategies
Hedge funds use a variety of strategies to generate profits, they can aid diversification and lower the risk inherent in the stock, bond, and other markets.
Read More
Hedge Funds: Definition, Examples, and How They Work
Hedge funds are for the wealthy and big institutions, and getting into them requires more money, tolerance for risk, and patience than most investors have.
Read More
It's time to focus on the future of your wealth.