Some were convinced that the 130/30 and alternative beta movement was sputtering out. But AllAboutAlpha.com begs to differ. It notes that "several firms announced new funds aimed at resurrecting interest in hedge fund replication and short-extension strategies. And who knows, the time may now be right for these quasi-hedge fund instruments."

Invesco, the mutual fund giant, has raised some eyebrows by launching an alternative beta strategy called "Premia Plus." It does not call the fund a hedge fund however, which may be smart from a marketing point of view. It seems there is still demand for such products, which makes sense. Institutions still have performance needs--perhaps now more than ever--but they are focused on expenses as well. What better vehicle than one that provide hedge-fund like returns at drastically lower costs. 

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