London (CNN Business) For years, the climate for hedge funds was tough. That's boosting interest in hedge funds, through which professional investors try to beat the market by deploying less-conventional approaches. Investors trying to capitalize on turmoil in commodity markets have done particularly well, according to Robert Sears, chief investment officer at Capital Generation Partners, which invests in hedge funds for wealthy families. "Until we get into the cycle of earnings going down and the Federal Reserve starting to ease policy, really you're set for an environment when hedge funds should do quite well," Sears told me. Investors see an 80% probability that the Fed will hike interest rates by three-quarters of a percentage point on Wednesday.

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