K2 Advisors

Last updated

K2 Advisors
TypeSubsidiary
Industry Investment Management
Founded1994;29 years ago (1994)
FoundersDavid Saunders
William Douglass
Headquarters Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.
Products Fund of hedge funds
AUM US$10.4 billion (July 2023)
Parent Franklin Templeton Investments
Website k2advisors.com

K2 Advisors is an American fund of funds investment firm headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. Currently it is a subsidiary of Franklin Templeton Investments and is one of the largest fund of hedge funds in the United States. It has additional offices in Europe and Asia-Pacific.

Contents

Background

K2 advisors was founded in 1994 by David Saunders and William Douglass. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] The firm was named after the K2 mountain in the Karakoram range where the pair attended a fundraiser to benefit a team to climb it. [1] [3] [5] Saunders previously worked for Julian Robertson at the firm Tiger Management as Head Trader making K2 Advisors part of the Tiger Cubs group. [1] [5] [6] Douglass previously worked at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. [1]

Since 2006, K2 Advisors has been known to be investing in ESG securities as well as Insurance-Linked Securities. [7]

In 2007 TA Associates acquired a minority interest in K2 advisors for an undisclosed amount of money. [1] [2] [6] [8]

In 2011, K2 Advisors considered selling the firm with The Carlyle Group being one of the main bidding frontrunners. [1] [2]

In 2012, K2 Advisors was acquired by Franklin Templeton Investments. [2] [3] [4] [6] K2 Advisors used the money from deal to buy out TA Associates stake which allowed Franklin Templeton Investments to have 100% ownership of K2 Advisors. [2] [4]

In 2019, K2 Advisors expanded its business to Europe with a new fund range which allowed local investors there to have access to U.S.-based fund managers. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franklin Templeton Investments</span> Global investment firm founded in New York City in 1947

Franklin Resources, Inc. is an American multinational holding company that, together with its subsidiaries, is referred to as Franklin Templeton; it is a global investment firm founded in New York City in 1947 as Franklin Distributors, Inc. It is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BEN, in honor of Benjamin Franklin, for whom the company is named, and who was admired by founder Rupert Johnson Sr. In 1973, the company's headquarters moved from New York to San Mateo, California. As of October 12, 2020, Franklin Templeton held US$1.4 trillion in assets under management (AUM) on behalf of private, professional and institutional investors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legg Mason</span> Former American investment management company

Legg Mason was an American investment management and asset management firm headquartered in Baltimore, founded in 1899 and acquired by Franklin Templeton Investments as of July 2020. As of December 31, 2019, the company had $730.8 billion in assets under management, including $161.2 billion in equity assets, $420.2 billion in fixed income assets, $74.3 billion in alternative assets, and $75.1 billion in liquidity assets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Providence Equity</span> American global private equity investment firm

Providence Equity Partners L.L.C. is a specialist private equity investment firm focused on media, communications, education, and technology investments across North America and Europe. The firm specializes in growth-oriented private equity investments and has invested in more than 170 companies globally since its inception in 1989.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apax Partners</span> British private equity firm

Apax Partners LLP is a British private equity firm, headquartered in London, England. The company also operates out of six other offices in New York, Hong Kong, Mumbai, Tel Aviv, Munich and Shanghai. As of December 2023, the firm had raised and advised funds of approximately $65 billion (USD). Apax Partners is one of the oldest and largest private equity firms operating on an international basis.

Fortress Investment Group is an American investment management firm based in New York City. Fortress was founded as a private equity firm in 1998 by Wes Edens, Rob Kauffman, and Randal Nardone. When Fortress launched on the NYSE in February 2007, it was the first large private equity firm in the US to be traded publicly. In December 2017, Fortress was fully acquired by SoftBank Group, was delisted, and returned to being a privately held company. Fortress manages $44.7 billion of assets under management as of June 30, 2023, on behalf of over 1,900 institutional clients and private investors worldwide across a range of credit and real estate, private equity and permanent capital investment strategies. In May 2023, Mubadala Investment Co agreed to acquire a majority stake in Fortress from Softbank for an undisclosed sum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alternative investment</span> Investments other than stocks, bonds and cash

An alternative investment, also known as an alternative asset or alternative investment fund (AIF), is an investment in any asset class excluding capital stocks, bonds, and cash. The term is a relatively loose one and includes tangible assets such as precious metals, collectibles and some financial assets such as real estate, commodities, private equity, distressed securities, hedge funds, exchange funds, carbon credits, venture capital, film production, financial derivatives, cryptocurrencies, non-fungible tokens, and Tax Receivable Agreements. Investments in real estate, forestry and shipping are also often termed "alternative" despite the ancient use of such real assets to enhance and preserve wealth. Alternative investments are to be contrasted with traditional investments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apollo Global Management</span> American private equity company

Apollo Global Management, Inc. is an American private equity firm. It provides investment management and invests in credit, private equity, and real assets. As of 2022, the company had $548 billion of assets under management, including $392 billion invested in credit, including mezzanine capital, hedge funds, non-performing loans, and collateralized loan obligations, $99 billion invested in private equity, and $46.2 billion invested in real assets, which includes real estate and infrastructure. The company invests money on behalf of pension funds, financial endowments, and sovereign wealth funds, as well as other institutional and individual investors. Funds managed by Apollo have produced a 24% internal rate of return (IRR) to investors, net of fees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liongate Capital Management</span>

Liongate Capital Management was a global investment management firm, focused on creating and managing fund of hedge fund investments for institutional and private investors. Liongate, founded in 2003 by Jeff Holland, Ben Funk and Randall Dillard, managed a range of funds of hedge funds in both commingled funds and tailored, single client portfolios. The firm, which at it peak managed over USD 3 billion with an additional USD 4 billion in assets under advisory, had a global reach with offices in London, New York, Zurich, Dubai, Malta and Mumbai. The Liongate partners sold the firm to Principal Financial Group in 2013 as the large US insurer and asset manager wanted a hedge fund research platform in order to quickly ramp up retail hedge fund distribution in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lexington Partners</span> Private equity company

Lexington Partners is one of the largest manager of secondary acquisition and co-Investment funds in the world, founded in 1994. Lexington manages approximately $55 billion of which an unprecedented $14 billion was committed to the firm's ninth fund, the largest dedicated secondaries pool of capital ever raised at the time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hellman & Friedman</span> American private equity firm

Hellman & Friedman LLC (H&F) is an American private equity firm, founded in 1984 by Warren Hellman and Tully Friedman, that makes investments primarily through leveraged buyouts as well as growth capital investments. H&F has focused its efforts on several core target industries including media, financial services, professional services and information services. The firm tends to avoid asset intensive or other industrial businesses. H&F is based in San Francisco, with offices in New York and London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TPG Angelo Gordon</span> American investment management company

TPG Angelo Gordon is a global alternative investment manager founded in 1988 by John Angelo and Michael Gordon who together ran the arbitrage department of L.F. Rothschild in the 1980s. The firm focuses on four main investment disciplines: credit, real estate, private equity, and multi-strategy.

Highland Capital Management is an alternative investment management firm that manages hedge funds, structured investment vehicles and mutual funds. The firm invests in global public equities, as well as fixed income markets with a focus on leveraged loans, high yield bonds, and structured products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jupiter Fund Management</span> British fund management company

Jupiter Fund Management is a UK fund management group, managing equity and bond investments for private and institutional investors. The company manages assets across a wide range of international and UK based mutual funds, investment companies and institutional mandates, as well as providing wealth management services. The Company offers a variety of equity portfolios specialising in markets such as the UK, Europe, Asia and other emerging European nations, as well as multi-manager funds and specialist thematic investments such as absolute return funds, socially responsible investment funds and global financial funds. It also has a growing fixed interest franchise, with a focus on investing in high grade corporate bonds, strategic bonds and convertibles. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Affiliated Managers Group</span> American Investment Company

Affiliated Managers Group, Inc. is a strategic partner to independent investment management firms globally, with equity stakes in a number of partner-owned traditional investment managers, hedge funds, and specialized private equity firms which it calls “Affiliates.” The company has principal offices in West Palm Beach, Florida; Prides Crossing, Massachusetts; Stamford, Connecticut; and London, United Kingdom. The company was founded in December 1993 by William J. Nutt in Boston, Massachusetts, as a privately owned company with initial backing from TA Associates; Its initial public offering on the New York Stock Exchange occurred in November 1997. Today, AMG’s Affiliates manage $651 billion in assets in aggregate.

Ospraie Management, LLC is a New York City-based investment management firm that invests in commodities and basic industries worldwide across public and private markets. The company, through its venture arm, makes agriculture-focused investments that seek to reduce environmental impact.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BNY Mellon Investment Management</span> Global investment management firm

BNY Mellon Investment Management is the investment management division of BNY Mellon. It is one of the largest asset managers in the world. BNY IM uses seven different specialized investment managers, each with its own strategy and expertise to manage investments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PanAgora Asset Management</span> Asset management firm based in Boston

PanAgora Asset Management (PanAgora) is an American investment management firm based in Boston. The firm is noted for its usage of quantitative analysis in its approach to investing. It is a direct subsidiary of Putnam Investments and its ultimate parent is Power Financial.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fiera Capital</span> Canada asset management company

Fiera Capital Corporation (Fiera) is a Canadian asset management company headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. The company has expanded through a series of acquisitions. It invests in multiple asset classes which are in both public and private markets although the majority of its assets are in public markets. North America is its biggest region with the majority of its investments being in Canada and the United States.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Zuckerman, Jenny Strasburg And Gregory. "K2 Advisors in Talks for Potential Sale". WSJ. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Barth, Chris. "Franklin Templeton Acquires World's 7th Largest Hedge Fund Of Funds". Forbes. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 "Franklin Resources buys prominent hedge fund firm K2". Reuters. September 19, 2012. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 "Franklin Templeton taking majority stake in K2". Pensions & Investments. September 19, 2012. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 "Forgoing tradition: Face to Face with David C. Saunders". Pensions & Investments. March 19, 2009. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Five Questions: K2's David Saunders Weighs Changes in Fund-of-Funds Industry". Institutional Investor. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  7. "No plain vanilla portfolios here". Pensions & Investments. December 15, 2006. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  8. "TA Associates takes stake in K2 Advisors". Reuters. March 27, 2007. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
  9. "Franklin Templeton's K2 expands in Europe with new fund range". Reuters. October 1, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2023.