Doing the Reverse Desk

Doing the Reverse Desk

Informal; the act of a hedge fund misleading other hedge funds that seek to imitate its strategy and/or tactics. Doing the reverse desk involves making small transactions with a great deal of publicity while quietly making large transactions that fit with the hedge fund's true investment goals. If hedge funds are imitating each other, this means that they are making the same or similar transactions, which increases prices and makes it more expensive for a hedge fund to do its business. Doing the reverse desk is intended to reduce this risk. It is comparatively easy for a hedge fund to do the reverse desk because hedge funds are not required to be as transparent as other investment vehicles.