Is this the new sponsoring club for American retail? | Reuters & Bronson Point

Two hedge fund veterans who worked at SAC Capital Advisors, LP and Pequot Capital Management, long considered among the industry's most successful, are launching their own firm next month, people familiar with the matter said on Monday.

Larry Foley, who had been a senior portfolio manager at SAC from 1994 to 2008, and Paul Farrell, a member of Pequot's executive committee and co-portfolio manager of its Scout Fund Group, plan to open Bronson Point Partners on January 1, 2010.

Foley and Farrell’s pedigree will likely prompt many hedge fund industry investors to give the pair a close look. But how much money the men will actually manage to raise remains unclear at a time when investors are becoming ever pickier about where they commit their capital.

To woo potential clients, Bronson Point’s principals said they have committed at least $25 million of their own money and promise a “disciplined approach to fund-raising, organic growth and risk management.” They will concentrate on U.S. stocks, running a so-called long/short equity strategy.

Investors traditionally want to see fund managers invest part of their own fortunes, with plans to expand the fund in a measured way.

To get into Bronson Point, investors need to put down $1 million, an average figure for most small hedge funds. It will charge a 2 percent annual management fee plus an incentive fee of 17 percent to 20 percent, depending on how long investors agree to leave their money with the new firm.

Bronson Point in its brochure promises to use an “opportunistic approach combining fundamental research and active portfolio management.” The team, which also includes ex-SAC trader Jonathan Marcus, said retailer Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY.O) and regional sporting goods store Hibbett Sports (HIBB.O) are among the fund's core holdings.

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via Ex-SAC, Pequot managers to launch hedge fund firm | Reuters.