The regulatory authorities should have more access to information about the funds, the head of the IMF's interational capital markets department, Gerd Haeusler, told the business daily Handelsblatt.

At present, hedge funds are subject to very little regulation.

Banks that do business with the funds should also be subject to greater scrutiny in order to achieve more transparency, Haeusler added.

Haeusler warned that the low yields of the hedge funds "could lead them to take greater risks" and that could lead to increased risk for the financial system in the long term.

Nevertheless, there was "no immediate danger" for the stability of the international financial system, the IMF official added.