Print this article
Social Media Revolution Rolls On - Launch Of The First Twitter Hedge Fund
Tom Burroughes
19 May 2011
London-based Derwent Capital Markets, which uses Twitter
feeds to help decide its investments, has opened for business after a number of
reported delays. The fund debuted this week with $100 million, the firm said.
The fund was originally slated to launch in February, and then again in April,
but was delayed both times by greater-than-expected investor interest. Derwent will use a proprietary trading model that analyzes
the use of "calm" words on Twitter to predict movements in the Dow
Jones Industrial Average. The Cayman Islands-domiciled fund will invest in
liquid equities and equity indices. Paul Hawtin, founder and fund manager, will manage a
portfolio consisting of liquid equities and equity indices with the aim of
achieving consistent absolute returns for investors. The fund manager will use
real-time sentiment analysis to provide what it hopes will be an invaluable
insight into the “fear and greed” aspect within the financial markets. International law firm Reed Smith advised Derwent Capital
Markets on the launch of the fund.