Business set-up requires investment in the form of capital. A well-balanced business idea with a good track record can fetch many investors in the finance market.
Raising capital and offering good advisory support is also a type of financial institution that has operated in the world for a long time. There are indeed small investors who help the businesses with scaling up operations too.
The finance market adds money to money and takes a commission out of the revenue made. Going the extra mile, the financial institutions help set up the business and support it until the company can operate independently.
The demand for such services still exists, and the clients are simple business owners. There are many investment options, like Private Equity and Venture capital, but their services are limited to business expansion.
Though the investments from the above two are for the long term, there are risks involved in Venture Capital for the model it works. More importantly, Private equity investment begins in the last stage of business expansion.
The two prominent names that linger around in the name of business set-up support are the Hedge Fund and Investment Bank. At the ground level, they operate similarly, but their operations have many differences.
Key Takeaways
- Hedge funds are private investment vehicles that pool capital from investors to engage in various trading and investment strategies. In contrast, investment banks are financial institutions that assist companies, governments, and other entities in raising capital and executing complex financial transactions.
- Hedge funds operate with less regulatory oversight and can employ aggressive strategies like short-selling and leveraging. In contrast, investment banks are subject to more stringent regulations and focus on services like underwriting, mergers and acquisitions, and advisory work.
- Hedge funds aim to generate high returns for their investors, regardless of market conditions, whereas investment banks earn revenue through fees, commissions, and trading profits.
Hedge Fund vs Investment Bank
The difference between a Hedge fund and an Investment bank is that a Hedge fund is an investment avenue that pools the investors to invest in various financial products using impeccable risk management techniques. In contrast, investment banking is a financial institution that offers advisory services to businesses and helps raise capital.
Comparison Table
| Parameter of Comparison | Hedge Fund | Investment Bank |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Hedge Fund is an investment group that pools investorsโ funds to invest in various financial products. | An investment bank is a financial intermediary offering companies investment and advisory services. |
| Primary Objective | Hedge Fundโs primary objective is to increase the return for the investors in a brief period. | An investment bank looks at the growth, safety, and income of the company it is catering to. |
| Risk Involved | Hedge Fund involves high-risk propositions but has risk management in place at adversities. | Very less risky when compared to Hedge Funds. |
| Investment | Hedge funds investments are made highly in liquid assets. | Investment bank supports various investment plans; it can be stock selling, identifying investing partner, etc. |
| Concentrates on | Short term Gains | Long term Perspective |
What is Hedge Fund?
Hedge Fund is an investment fund that deals primarily with liquid assets. It utilizes complex methods of trading to see returns on a short-term basis.
It highly relies on portfolio construction and risk management techniques to improve the performance of the funds invested. A hedge fundโs task is not only to find investors but to improve the performance of the investment.
Hedge Fund is made available for very high net-worth individuals and institutional investors as it involves high risk. The hedge fund is considered an alternative investment.
Although regulated, Hedge fund uses highly complex leverages and complex investment techniques. This makes them different from mutual funds too.
The management style of Hedge funds is highly aggressive as it requires offering more returns to the investors than is the one promised. Hedge funds are open-ended, which means that the investors are given the advantage of withdrawing the capital based on the net value of the funds.
Hedge funds are not bound to any restrictions. However, it was put under a few regulation frameworks when there was a crisibetweenrs 2007 and 2008.
Many Hedge Fund firms exist, and they all operate in different modes. Hedge funds are not under any restriction, so the need is for high-end investors and a financial commodity to purchase.
What is Investment Bank?
An investment bank is a financial services company that supports businesses with advisory-based financial transactions on behalf of their clients. The clients for investment banks are individuals, corporations, governments, and any investment institution.
Investment banking is associated with corporate finance. It assists in raising capital for the organization by underwriting or acting as the companyโs agent in issuing securities.
One of the vast arrays of services investment banks offer is mergers and acquisitions. The investment bank has categorized the entire business area into Upper Tier, Middle-level Business, and Specialised Business.
Investment banks do not take a deposit, whereas other entities like commercial and retail banks take it for their services. The investment bank is a massive formula for success for many organizations worldwide.
Investment banking activity is put into two brackets; sell-side and buy-side. The sell-side trades securities for cash or other securities, while the buy-side buys investment services for the organization.
The investment bank is the most trusted, with private and public functions. Insider information about the organization has never been disclosed on either side of the functionality.
Main Differences Between Hedge Funds and Investment Banks
- Theย main difference between a Hedge fund and an Investment bankย is the primary focus of the operation; the Hedge fund is the investment avenue where it pools the investors to invest in various financial products using top-notch risk management techniques, while investment banking, is a financial institution which offers advisory services to the businesses and helps raise capital.
- Hedge Fundsโ primary objective is to earn significant returns in a brief period, while Investment banks focus on their clientsโ growth, safety, and income.
- Hedge funds involve many complex investment techniques and derivatives. Therefore it is highly risky, while Investment bank is well under control and less risky.
- The investments made through hedge Funds are highly liquid assets, while the Investment bankโs proposition is more on stocks and shares with multiple investment options from the investors.
- Hedge Funds concentrate on Short term gains, while Investment Banks nurture long-term relationships.
- https://www.nber.org/papers/w16801.pdf
- https://archivefda.dlib.nyu.edu/jspui/bitstream/2451/27400/2/FIN-07-031.pdf
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Chara Yadav holds MBA in Finance. Her goal is to simplify finance-related topics. She has worked in finance for about 25 years. She has held multiple finance and banking classes for business schools and communities. Read more at her bio page.
