Morningstar Opens Hedge Fund Database

Morningstar said in the announcement its goal is make hedge funds more transparent, which will allow accredited investors, advisors and institutional money managers to better evaluate their investment alternatives.

Investors will be able to search key data points, which include fundamental risk/return metrics, management background and fees, according to the announcement. Morningstar’s database includes more than 3,000 hedge funds and the company continues to add to the number.

The company said hedge fund data will be included in the newest version of Advisor Workstation Office Edition, which will be released in several weeks.

“With more than $1.5 trillion in assets, hedge funds have fast become a significant vehicle for investment,” said Joe Mansueto, chairman and chief executive officer of Morningstar, in the announcement. “Despite their growth, there is a lack of information on hedge funds, making research difficult and oftentimes expensive. We hope to bring more transparency to the hedge fund industry to help investors better evaluate and compare these investments.”

Investors can submit questions to Morningstar by email to investors@morningstar.com or by fax to 312-696-6009.