What is the meaning of hedge fund and why they are called hedge funds what was their role in us sub prime mortgage crises?

Answer 1

A hedge fund, as the name suggests, is a fund that has "hedges"--or preventative measures--in place so that the fund will (theoretically) do well in a bull or bear market. That might mean that hedge fund managers buy stocks for the long haul, while also shorting stocks or buying options in case stock prices go down, for example. They might also make big bets on certain sectors (such as Natural Resources or the mortgage market) that can earn huge returns if they're right--or cause the fund to go bust if they're wrong (as well as shaking up Wall Street in general. So much for the "hedges.")

They played a role in the subprime mortgage crisis because they purchased subprime mortgages (repackaged as bonds) to such a degree that banks, mortgage brokers, etc. lost sight of their primarily responsibility (i.e., loaning money only to people who could afford to buy a house) because the banks didn't have to keep the loans on the books: they essentially sold them to hedge funds and other investors. So, if one side--the hedge funds--is willing to buy risky subprime loans (in the hopes of big profits), the other side--the banks, etc.--are going to be far more willing to make those loans (in the hopes of big profits). Then, when the borrowers (the home buyers) have trouble paying their mortgages, the hedge funds are going to be hit...but only if they haven't already sold those loans-repackaged-as-bonds to some other sucker.

In short, the hedge funds helped create the atmosphere of easy credit for people who couldn't afford home loans. Moreover, since hedge funds also have a way to make money when the market goes down (because they short stocks, etc.), they also can profit by hyping doom and gloom. Thus, even though the subprime mortgage market is a relatively small part of the U.S. economy, you'd never guess it from all the press it's getting now.

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