If there is one part of the tepid deals market that is perky right now, it would be the hedge funds [1] niche. According to Jefferies Putnam Lovell, hedge funds have accounted for 40 percent of deals in the investment industry. That's up from about 32 percent in 2007, and demand is said to heating up. Buyers are more than hungry for alpha, which means innovative firms. If you've got a decent track record and a salable strategy, quantitative or other, you'll get some looks. Funds of funds also are thought to be in demand. These sorts of releases are self-serving in a way, but it does point to an interesting situation: Despite a lot of upheaval, the concept of a hedge fund is more attractive than ever.   

For more:
- here's the release [2]

Related Articles:
Lots of institutions sitting on cash [3]
Hedge funds and the Kentucky Derby [4]
What's up with small hedge funds? [5]
Hedge funds to allow more redemptions [6]