In a HedgeCo.Net story today, the MPC Samsara Team announced the launch of a new hedge fund, the MPC Samsara Fund. The hedge fund will be run by Ajay Gambhir and he will follow the same successful strategy as the JPMorgan Europe Dynamic Long Short hedge fund of which Ajay was the sole portfolio manager.

This hedge fund returned, net of fees, 31.5% in 2005 and 40.2% in 2006. The Fund won the Eurohedge Best European Equities Hedge Fund 2006 award (under $500m) with a fund size of $400m (as at February 2007). Over the three years to end 2006 the Europe Dynamic Long Short hedge fund returned 104.7% with a sharpe ratio of 3.1.

MPC Samsara has a directional long short strategy with the ability to be net short of the market. Therefore it is able to vary its exposure to the market and thus profit even in poor stock market environments. Ajay will manage the hedge fund with precisely the same approach as he has used at JP Morgan which was bottom-up stock-picking fund with a top down overlay, using rigorous fundamental analysis and an active approach to stock selection.