Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Mutual Funds Affected by the Short-Sale Ban

The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) reported today that the SEC's recent short-sale ban "is hitting many mutual funds and exchange-traded funds that make bets against these shares." The article notes that these "market neutral," "long-short," or "bear" funds that mimic the shorting strategies employed by hedge funds are finding the strategies more complex as the ban is broadened to include the shares of even more companies and the length of the ban is extended.