How Does Agribusiness Consolidation Create Opportunities for Investors?

Investors considering agriculture plays have many investment opportunities and vehicles to choose from – and these days, it seems as though investments in everything from seeds to farmland to technology are in play. One of the biggest activity drivers in the agriculture market will be industry and agribusiness consolidation, according to industry insiders.

Harvest Begins (Photo: TumblingRun)

As many multinationals become more aggressive with their own investing arms, there’s an increasing blurriness between R&D and M&A – creating a huge opportunity for those considering PE or VC plays in the space.

At AgReturn Global Investments this November, agriculture investing heavyweights will dissect this market activity and discuss their strategies and investments, from idea to exit. Entrepreneurs and investors will get a look into what the investing arms of Syngenta and BASF are looking for, and managers can get the inside scoop on sales to multinationals, such as the deal between MCN BioProducts and Bunge.

If you want to grow your agriculture portfolio’s value and make a splash in this burgeoning asset class, there’s just one place to be: AgReturn Global Investments. Register now to secure your spot.

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Where, Oh, Where Is the Hedge Fund Industry Headed?

There has been quite a bit of talk these days about where the hedge fund industry is heading in the fourth quarter of 2012 and beyond. Many recent news reports have cited massive withdrawals by investors because they are not happy with the numbers that managers are putting up.

Time will tell what happens to the industry but right now it seems that are sitting on the sidelines waiting to see how these managers who are supposed to zig when the markets zag fair in the fourth quarter.

Now that we are back to work and the post summer euphoria is winding down, our programming for GAIM USA 2013 is in full swing. This year’s program includes a new series called Hedge Fund Immersion. It is a series of highly focused sessions led by industry experts that cover topic ranging from compliance and custody to technology and operational due diligence.

To learn more about these unique sessions read our press release about Hedge Fund Immersion by clicking here. To learn more about GAIM USA 2013 and to register click here.

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Two Things Agriculture Investors Can’t Miss

The researchers at IIR have spent the summer working closely with investors to gauge and measure the best investment strategies in untested sectors. Agriculture is one of the most fascinating alternative asset classes there – and because ag is so multi-faceted, deploying the right strategy is critical.

We have two exciting opportunities for agriculture investors.

New AgReturn Webinar: Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC): Adding Value & Transforming the Market

• Sharpen your aquaculture strategy. Aquaculture is a blossoming industry that is ripe for investment, thanks to the global appetite for responsibly farmed seafood and new certification programs and standards managed by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC). We’ll be hosting an exclusive Webinar on Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012 at 10:00 AM EST with Chris Ninnes, CEO of ASC. He’ll be walking participants through the ASC standards and how they create value for agriculture investors. Register to participate in this complimentary live Webinar here.

The AgReturn Innovators Award

• Thrust agriculture innovation into the spotlight. We’re honoring agricultural entrepreneurs with the AgReturn Innovators Award on November13, 2012, during a ceremony at the Renaissance Chicago Downtown. The winner will be chosen by a panel of prestigious investor and industry judges, including Edward Shonsey, CEO of L1 Agrosciences Inc. and Paul Zorner, Operating Partner at Pegasus Capital Advisors L.P. 

The award honors an individual or company that is focused on making an impact in the agriculture food chain, with the winner receiving a speaking slot at AgReturn San Francisco, slated for May 2013.  Click here to see the awards criteria and nominate a company.

To get a truly in-depth look at the best agriculture investing strategies, you’ve got to be at AgReturn Global Investments this November in Chicago. The price for attending goes up on Sept. 21, 2012 – so save your seat for the lowest rate today. 

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GAIM USA 2013 Slated for January 21-24, 2013, in Boca Raton

GAIM USA 2013 will be held January 21-24, 2013, in Boca Raton, FL. The New Year Kick-Off Event brings investors and hedge fund managers together to focus on returns and build assets under management.

GAIM announced the first group of speakers for the event:

• Lee Partridge, CIO, Salient Partners/CIO, San Diego County Employees Retirement Association
• Marc Katz, Deputy Director, Investment Administration for the Teachers’ Retirement System of the City of New York
• Bill Michaelcheck, Founder, Mariner Investment Group
• Tim Garry, CFA, Portfolio Manager and Chief Risk Officer, Passport Capital
• Guy Wyser-Pratte, President, Wyser-Pratte & Co.
• Daniel Zwirn, Zwirn Family Interests, LLC, in a one-on-one interview with William Cohan, contributing editor for Bloomberg TV and author of leading business books including Money and Power: How Goldman Sachs Came to Rule the World         
• Marcus Luttrell, retired US Navy SEAL, received Navy Cross for his actions facing Taliban fighters during Operation Red Wing; author of The New York Times best-seller Lone Survivor
• Scott Patterson, The Wall Street Journal, author of Dark Pools: High-Speed Traders, A.I. Bandits, and the Threat to the Global Financial System

Additional speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.

GAIM USA 2013 has been created to answer investors’ questions about where returns will come from in the New Year and deliver an organic networking environment for managers to build relationships with the world’s leading and largest investors.

“GAIM USA 2013 features a speaker roster of leading investors and managers who will provide real insight into the most critical issues in the hedge fund industry,” said Daniel Strachman, Director of Research and Strategy at GAIM, and Managing Director of The Institute for International Research. “Our participants past and present tell us they start their year with us. We have enhanced networking opportunities by creating dedicated space and time throughout the program for participants to interact and get business done.”

For more than a decade, GAIM USA conferences have attracted thousands of asset allocators, investors, asset managers and the professional and technology solution providers who service them. Speakers and attendees actively participate in discussions regarding today’s most important topics, including: performance, regulation, fee models, JOBS Act, high frequency trading, new strategies, activist investing, technology, accessing new capital pools, economic trends, the next generation of managers, and management skills.

The event will be held at the Boca Raton Resort & Club. Registration and details at www.gaimusa.com.

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