Altin AGBaar, Switzerland

Measure may Limit Oil Futures Trading by Hedge Funds - The US House has authorized the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to investigate speculators, whom lawmakers blame for driving up oil prices. Many lawmakers accuse investors such as hedge funds, pension funds, and big financial firms of flooding into commodity trading and driving up oil prices. The measure authorizes the CFTC to take action, including imposing temporary limits on traders or halting trading altogether when oil prices swing wildly.

Hedge Funds may Force Changes at Major US Railroad - A US federal judge has ruled that two hedge funds backing a group of candidates seeking membership on a major railroad's board of directors may vote their shares during a board of directors' election. Some industry experts say that the ruling could make it easier for hedge funds to influence corporations' actions. US railroad CSX had sued British hedge fund The Children's Investment Fund and Brazilian hedge fund 3G Capital Partners, accusing them of evading federal securities filing requirements while securing enough CSX stock to sway the board of directors' election. The judge ruled that the hedge funds had violated securities laws, but, due to an existing legal precedent, couldn't be prevented from voting their shares.

Hedge Fund Returns Unchanged - Hedge fund performance was flat, but equity hedge funds outperformed other types of hedge funds, in the first half of 2008 compared to the same period in 2007, according to CNNMoney.com. After averaging double-digit returns in the 1990s, hedge fund returns have fallen and increasingly match returns for traditional stock indexes.