Hedge funds today revealed short selling positions in two companies hit by the downturn in the Short selling is where an investor borrows a share, agrees to sell it to someone else, and therefore profits if the value falls. Ventus Master and Capital Fund Management revealed that they had taken short positions equating to about 0.5% of Southern Cross Healthcare, and a series of funds revealed short positions of various sizes in commercial property lender Anglo Irish Bank. Southern Cross has been in negotiations to sell down property and renegotiate its debt burden, which has seen it struggle to pay back short term loans. Southern Cross is not on the list of shares which the Financial Services Authority has banned investors from shorting, so it is unclear why the two funds disclosed their short positions. Separately, several funds this week revealed short positions in Anglo Irish Bank, a commercial property lender which built up a large Anglo Irish shares dropped fell 12% to €2 as European banking shares were decimated by the threat of global recession.
Hedge funds today revealed short selling positions in two companies hit by the downturn in the UK property market.
Short selling is where an investor borrows a share, agrees to sell it to someone else, and therefore profits if the value falls.
Ventus Master and Capital Fund Management revealed that they had taken short positions equating to about 0.5% of Southern Cross Healthcare, and a series of funds revealed short positions of various sizes in commercial property lender Anglo Irish Bank.
Southern Cross has been in negotiations to sell down property and renegotiate its debt burden, which has seen it struggle to pay back short term loans.
Southern Cross is not on the list of shares which the Financial Services Authority has banned investors from shorting, so it is unclear why the two funds disclosed their short positions.
Separately, several funds this week revealed short positions in Anglo Irish Bank, a commercial property lender which built up a large UK loan book during the recent bull market.
Anglo Irish shares dropped fell 12% to €2 as European banking shares were decimated by the threat of global recession.
