This Is What Hedge Funds Bought And Sold In Q3: Complete 13F Summary

In a world where only two things matter: i) whether there is any “trade deal optimism” on any given day, and ii) whether the Fed is injecting or draining liquidity from the market, it is understandable why the cachet that hedge funds once held in terms of moving the market with their stock picks, and pans, has disappeared. The fact that most hedge funds have also dreadfully underperformed the market – and in fact, the best strategy of the past decade has been to do the opposite of what the most popular hedge fund trades are – certainly has not helped.

And yet, every quarter, we still go through the usual song and dance, where analysts look at the top holdings and position changes revealed by hedge funds in their 13F some 45 days after the end of the quarter in question, and Q3 was no different.

So here is a quick rundown of the most notable changes revealed by hedge funds in the past day or two as the latest batch of 13Fs hit the tape:

• S&P500: Hedge funds, unable to generate alpha and willing to replace it with beta (while collecting 2 and 20 for basically replicating the market) rushed to place bets on the broader market, spending big bux on ETFs that track the S&P 500 Index.
• Alibaba: a flurry of hedge funds made the largest Chinese online retailer a top buy. Tiger Global Management was the biggest hedge fund buyer of Alibaba in the quarter. However, last month, Bloomberg reported that the Trump administration is considering forcing a delisting of Chinese companies from U.S. exchanges, a move that could put Alibaba stock holdings into disarray.
• Facebook: hedge funds piled into the social network with Harvard University’s endowment adding 2 million shares, bringing the value of its position to roughly $400 million. Tiger Global increased its holding, as did Appaloosa Management LP and D1 Capital Partners LP, which favored FAANGs overall. Not every fund was buying: Coatue Management LLC, Viking Global Investors LP and Adage Capital Partners LP all cut their stakes.
• FAANGs: Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix and Google (Alphabet) took a beating after a solid first half, after shares of Netflix were hammered in the third quarter on concerns over customer growth. Viking Global Investors doubled down on the video-streaming giant, bringing its stake to $1.2 billion. Lone Pine took a big new position while Maverick Capital and D1 Capital added to existing ones. On Friday, speculation that Bill Ackman had also built a 10% position in NFLX sent the stock sharply higher.
• Microsoft: the original software company was one of the less popular stocks for the second quarter in a row. Tiger cubs Viking, Coatue and Maverick Capital Ltd. all decreased their holdings in the tech giant as did Druckenmiller’s Duquesne Family Office. But the software giant was up more than 3% during that period and has been a top performer this year, with shares up near 46%.
• Apple: even though Apple’s relentless buyback frenzy helped push the stock up to all time highs, hedge funds sold: Renaissance dumped 2.2 million shares, or most of its Apple holding; Buffett also sold a small fraction (0.3%) of his AAPL holdings for the first time; at the same Marshall Wace added 1.3 million shares.
• Restoration Hardware: Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway built a new position in home furnishings company RH.  The stock surged after the news of his move was disclosed.
• Uber: Stan Druckenmiller offloaded almost all of his stake in Uber. The stock has dropped almost 14% since the end of last quarter, even as many hedge funds bought a stake in the ridesharing company.
• Allergan: Dan Loeb took a new position in Allergan, buying 1.1% of the company’s outstanding stock. The shares are up this quarter.
• KKR: Ken Griffin’s Citadel jumped into private equity giant KKR. The stock has gained 11% so far in the fourth quarter thanks in part to the firm switching to a corporation from a partnership.
• Berkshire: Warren Buffett’s congloemrate spent the third quarter trimming some of its largest stock bets, including Apple Inc., Wells Fargo and Phillips 66. Buffett’s firm is limited to keeping its ownership of the San Francisco lender below a 10% threshold, and it’s been near that level recently. Berkshire’s Apple stake was reduced but by a modest 0.3%, with the investment valued at $55.7 billion at the end of September. Berkshire’s bet on Apple, influencedby one of his deputies, has swiftly climbed to the top of its $220 billion stock portfolio since his company first disclosed the stake in 2016. Despite selling some Wells, Buffett is currently seeking permission from the Fed to increase Berkshire’s stake in Bank of America Corp. after it crossed the 10% level.

A complete rundown of the most notable hedge funds is shown below, courtesy of Bloomberg:

ADAGE CAPITAL PARTNERS LP

• Top new buys: KMB, LHX, PTON, FISV, GDX, GTES, EXP, CDW, PNM, JKHY
• Top exits: RTN, JCI, TJX, EL, SAP, GMS, XRX, RCKT, ITW, LEA
• Boosted stakes in: AGN, CELG, LMT, BURL, AAPL, GOOG, UA, GOOGL, MSFT, AAP
• Cut stakes in: AMZN, COST, EMR, HON, VLO, CVX, FB, AVY, W, CF

APPALOOSA INVESTMENT LP

• Top new buys: BABA, AVGO, BA
• Top exits: I, CNC
• Boosted stakes in: GOOG, MU, FB, AMZN, ADBE, ET, PCG
• Cut stakes in: UNH, XOP, HUM, COOP, CWEN, CWEN/A

ARROWGRASS

• Top new buys: GMHI, Z, RPLA, ACTT, XLE, SNDL, PFPT, BRK/B, AERI, PRU
• Top exits: LQD, CELG, AGN, MLNX, HYG, WBC, NFLX, CY, CRM, DIS
• Boosted stakes in: XOP, ABBV, PFE, OKTA, MET, AAL, ALXN, CAT, AMLP, VXX
• Cut stakes in: UBER, ILMN, DOW, LOW, NKE, T, WYNN, GOOGL, BIDU, FXI

BALYASNY ASSET MANAGEMENT

• Top new buys: XLI, XLU, CRM, XLB, ORLY, XBI, JBHT, MAR, LRCX, KSS
• Top exits: MCD, BUD, BAX, BURL, EOG, RJF, DUK, KO, ADBE, ETR
• Boosted stakes in: MET, MTB, CMG, QSR, GOOGL, ZION, MSFT, TSN, ROST, ZBH
• Cut stakes in: WMT, UTX, LH, KMB, SPY, GS, IR, AIG, C, GM

BAUPOST GROUP

• Top new buys: NUAN, VIST, CARS
• Top exits: AGN, XPO, SBGI
• Boosted stakes in: NXST, TBIO, LBTYA, CBS, ATRA, LBTYK
• Cut stakes in: EBAY, MCK, QRVO, SYF, AR, ABC, LNG, BMY, TMQ, GOSS

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY

• Top new buys: OXY, RH
• Cut stakes in: WFC, PSX, SIRI, AAPL

BLUEMOUNTAIN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

• Top new buys: GDX, NGD
• Top exits: ESI, TEVA, BJ, SOI, SWI, AVTR, VICI, CRWD, INVH, HCM
• Boosted stakes in: PCG
• Cut stakes in: XOP, ARR

BRIDGEWATER ASSOCIATES LP

• Top new buys: EWT, IVZ, PGR, AMT, BEN, CF, BMY, UNP, BXP, MHK
• Top exits: BBBY, K, NTAP, CTXS, RLGY, BK, GWW, SCHW, ROK, ENDP
• Boosted stakes in: EWZ, SPY, ALXN, DVA, LB, WBA, RL, CBS, XLNX, ANTM
• Cut stakes in: EEM, VWO, IEMG, TIP, EMB, KR, NUE, PVH, CCL, LQD

COATUE MANAGEMENT

• Top new buys: SNAP, TWTR, PODD, DXCM, RNG, ILMN, IQV, ALB, IQ, DDOG
• Top exits: WORK, BRFS, TME, MUSA, BURL, CHUY, SKX, TLRD, SEAS, LZB
• Boosted stakes in: GPN, SE, BABA, SQ, WDAY, ATVI, M, STNE, DDS, NVDA
• Cut stakes in: CRM, ADBE, INTU, MSFT, TWLO, FB, SMAR, NOW, PYPL, NTES

CORSAIR CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

• Top new buys: GDDY, NWSA, CZR, CCK, HYRE, GPRE, GLNG, BHF, METC, VNTR
• Top exits: FLEX, TIVO, STMP, SRC, MFIN, CLF, ADT
• Boosted stakes in: REPH, BH, IPI, SATS, FSK, EQH
• Cut stakes in: BLL, IQV, VOYA, TROX, HGV, IAC, RHP, AON, ATH, KRA

CORVEX MANAGEMENT

• Top new buys: ZEN, RTN, WDAY, GOOGL, TWLO, NOW, INFY
• Top exits: CNC, AYX, DIS, CBOE, CMCSA, WTRH, WCG, GPN, FB
• Boosted stakes in: MSG, FSCT, ADBE, AMZN, WORK
• Cut stakes in: TMUS, NFLX, RTLR, FLMN

D1 CAPITAL PARTNERS

• Top new buys: TME, CRM, PLAN, ARMK, AVTR, NOW, NVST, LVGO
• Top exits: DHI, MU, GOOGL, OC, BA, BILI, SNAP
• Boosted stakes in: AMZN, LIN, RACE, FB, CCC, GWRE, NFLX, HLT, ADBE, FIS
• Cut stakes in: DIS, BABA, JD, TWLO, QTT

DE SHAW

• Top new buys: HYG, BX, CVNA, XLU, CCK, PNW, HAS, UAL, XLF, MDP
• Top exits: LYFT, ITUB, SMH, ROKU, MUR, WY, OKE, EMB, RF, AZN
• Boosted stakes in: MSFT, PYPL, LOW, ADP, C, WMT, ADBE, UNH, DOCU, AXP
• Cut stakes in: FIS, AMZN, MDT, ATVI, SQ, CAT, WFC, TMUS, ORCL, MPC

DUQUESNE FAMILY OFFICE

• Top new buys: SHOP, PLAN, INDA, HDB, MDCO, OKTA, EA, ISRG, RETA, ZM
• Top exits: EEM, SNAP, CRM, PCG, ILMN, TMUS, PYPL, JD, MRK, I
• Boosted stakes in: NOW, GE, AYX, V, AMZN, SE, FB, WDAY, SMAR, TWLO
• Cut stakes in: MSFT, ADBE, UBER, NFLX, BABA, MA, FIS, MELI, COUP, SAIL

ELLIOTT MANAGEMENT

• Top new buys: T, MINI, CARB, CISN
• Top exits: FE, XLV, DXC, HYG, MAC, SHO, GWR, CXP, USWS
• Boosted stakes in: MPC, VNO, RRTS, DELL, COMM, CRMD, BTU
• Cut stakes in: HES, ARNC, OPB

EMINENCE CAPITAL

• Top new buys: RJF, CI, DPZ, PTON, MNST, CSOD, CTVA, Z, ULTA, MDLZ
• Top exits: TSN, MIDD, GPK, LBTYA
• Boosted stakes in: CPRI, GDDY, AXP, SCHW, CFG, VER, NTNX, SPOT, TMO, RCL
• Cut stakes in: USFD, HAE, EQIX, INXN, CNC, SYY, VMC, LEN, PSTG, FIS

ENGAGED CAPITAL

• Top exits: MGLN

FIR TREE

• Top new buys: CTXS, RTN, UNH, ANTM, HUM, DEAC, OAC
• Top exits: C, ACHC, NSCO, SPCE, NAVI, UPLC, HKRSQ
• Boosted stakes in: AGN, AMPY, TMUS, SATS
• Cut stakes in: CNC, MHK, TPGH, MOSC, MSFT, BKNG, SNE, LHC, AHCO, LAUR

FRONTFOUR CAPITAL GROUP

• Top exits: HGV, BERY, ANF
• Boosted stakes in: OBE
• Cut stakes in: GRP/U, VAC, ASH, CLNY, JASN, MDCA

GLENVIEW CAPITAL

• Top new buys: FISV, GPN, MYGN, FIS, NWL, AGN, TPR, SSNC, ADT
• Top exits: NVT, MSFT, BAX, JBL
• Boosted stakes in: THC, BHC, NUAN, TMUS, FLEX, CAR, ENDP, TAK, WCG, UNVR
• Cut stakes in: FMC, LYB, UHS, NXPI, LBTYK, IQV, LBTYA, MCK, HUM, HOLX

GREENLIGHT CAPITAL

• Top new buys: NBSE
• Top exits: HGV, KAR, VAL, CARS
• Boosted stakes in: BHF, CC, GM, ADNT
• Cut stakes in: DDS

ICAHN

• Top new buys: HPQ, CLDR
• Boosted stakes in: HTZ, CZR, CNDT, IEP
• Cut stakes in: OXY, LNG, FCX

IMPALA ASSET MANAGEMENT

• Top new buys: UPS, LPX, CLR, KBH, TTWO, AA, MTH, PCAR, WYNN, HAL
• Top exits: MHK, URI, HOG, FLT, ITT
• Boosted stakes in: QCOM, BLDR, UFI, HES, TECK
• Cut stakes in: NSC, CAT, RIO, LEA, KEX, HCC, KTOS, ANF, GD, VMC

JANA PARTNERS

• Top new buys: BLMN, INST
• Top exits: FLMN
• Boosted stakes in: SPY
• Cut stakes in: ZBH, AXTA, HDS, JACK

KCL CAPITAL

• Top new buys: TSM, MU, AAPL
• Top exits: SPOT, TWTE, ADBE
• Boosted stakes: AVGO, AMD, FB, AMZN
• Cut stakes: ZNGA, STM, NFLX, WDC

LANSDOWNE

• Top new buys: GS, VRAY, REGI
• Top exits: HCC, AGI
• Boosted stakes in: AMAT, TSM, MU, LRCX, UTX, PSX, CVE, DHT, IQ
• Cut stakes in: DAL, UAL, ETN, AAL, GRUB, GE, FSLR, MANU, CNQ, VXX

LONE PINE

• Top new buys: NFLX, GPN, EFX, HUM, HLF, MDLA, SMAR, TWLO
• Top exits: WYNN, STNE
• Boosted stakes in: CRM, TEAM, SQ, BABA, AMZN, DPZ, ATVI, COUP, NOW, UNH
• Cut stakes in: IQV, UNP, DHI, FB, CP, BKNG, MSFT, ADBE, TDG, TIF

LONG POND

• Top new buys: LVS, SBRA, KRC, VER, ALX
• Top exits: SRC, LSI, SHO, DRE, UE, DRH, VICI, CCL, PFSI
• Boosted stakes in: MSG, DIA, LEN, HST, LPT, RRR, VNO, HLT, AIV, EXP
• Cut stakes in: HPP, OHI, JLL, FR

MAGNETAR FINANCIAL

• Top new buys: ACIA, UBER, GCI, CRZO, SEMG, NOVA, PAA, MRK, SPY, CCH
• Top exits: RTLR, HCA, LKSD, INVH, ARE, LULU, SWI, QDEL
• Boosted stakes in: AGN, MCRN, CZR, LH, CRL, BAX, AZN, ALXN, ABBV, CHWY
• Cut stakes in: WCG, S, WBC, MLNX, STC, EXTN, ONCE, ADSW, PACB, CY

MAVERICK CAPITAL

• Top new buys: HLT, AGCO, FLT, WCG, QSR, IPHI, NWL, PYPL, GIS, FL
• Top exits: CTVA, IAA, NKE, EXP, SNPS, WYNN, DAL, JACK, VFC, M
• Boosted stakes in: MNST, WLK, NFLX, GPK, DD, GOOG, MDCO, BABA, ATRA, KSS
• Cut stakes in: HUM, LOW, LVS, MGM, DOW, FISV, ALNY, ADBE, BKNG, DECK

MELVIN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

• Top new buys: FLT, FISV, DG, ADYEN, SE, COUP, CROX, JD, HAS, TEAM
• Top exits: DPZ, VEEV, WDAY, VRSN, ALGN, WWE, WORK, HTZ, COO, SYY
• Boosted stakes in: FIS, BKNG, LH, TTWO, BABA, CRM, NOW, FB, ADBE, CSGP
• Cut stakes in: AMZN, NFLX, MCD, PAGS, LVS, V, IQV, LEN, CVNA, PYPL

MOORE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

• Top new buys: APO, NTES, RTN, LQD, AAP, USFD, LYFT, ROK, DKS, SAM
• Top exits: NFLX, BURL, WEX, EEM, DIS, CTXS, WEN, RCL, LOW, HYG
• Boosted stakes in: INXN, EDU, GOOGL, BA, SNAP, GDX, HUN, VALE, GOLD, UNP
• Cut stakes in: PGR, AMZN, FB, JD, FIS, NOC, SE, SYF, AMP, BABA

OAKTREE CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

• Top new buys: AFYA, YPF, IHRT, VIST, ASRT, CBB
• Top exits: WB, CTRA, BGNE
• Boosted stakes in: SBLK, BELFB, HUYA, TV, AMPY, INDA, LOMA, CX, VRS, TGS
• Cut stakes in: PCG, ITUB, AZUL, AU, PBR/A, CEO, IBN, EURN, YNDX, BCEI

OMEGA ADVISORS

• Top new buys: FISV, GLD, GTN, GCI, STKL, DT, MDLA, NET
• Top exits: NLSN, LORL, NRZ, PFSI, TPCO
• Boosted stakes in: NEWM, WPX, VICI, CCL, TRN, COOP, ASPS, EFC, MGY, FLMN
• Cut stakes in: TMO, AMCX, PARR

PAULSON & CO

• Top new buys: CPE, PSDO, OSG
• Top exits: STC
• Boosted stakes in: AGN, HZNP, ONCE, MYL, S, PCRX, VIAB, GOLD
• Cut stakes in: LYFT, TMUS, PCG, WCG, TSU, INSW, QEP, CELG

POINT72

• Top new buys: BABA, YUMC, V, BIDU, IQ, MU, WDC, MRK, AMAT, PTON
• Top exits: HTHT, CBPO, FB, TTWO, HD, FDX, NOW, CAT, CHWY, BRK/B
• Boosted stakes in: TCOM, SPY, MLCO, ZTO, GOOGL, MTCH, CMS, UNP, CTVA, OGE
• Cut stakes in: HUYA, JD, SE, MOMO, BKNG, EBAY, AMD, MRVL, SCHW, AVGO

POINTSTATE CAPITAL

• Top new buys: RTN, UAL, CI, FICO, AXTA, LIN, MAS, UNH, LEN, UNVR
• Top exits: COF, GLD, ANTM, ADSK, MDB, SPOT, OKTA, PBF, SVMK, URI
• Boosted stakes in: MA, FISV, UTX, CSGP, SHW, UNP, MPC, LHX, TSN, DLTR
• Cut stakes in: NFLX, CRM, BA, AMZN, ADBE, PAM, HUM, PCG, EEM, CNC

PERSHING SQUARE

• Top exits: ADP
• Boosted stakes in: BRK/B
• Cut stakes in: HLT, QSR, LOW, CMG

RAGING CAPITAL

• Top new buys: TPR, Z, ADS, CPRI, CSLT, SMAR, GLUU, GOOGL, MDLA, PAYS
• Top exits: JELD, GRUB, FND, CHWY, HCHC
• Boosted stakes in: SBGI, UPLD, BPOP, KEM, PD, AGO, IMMR, NTP, HIIQ, AXDX
• Cut stakes in: TDW, BLDR, AMBC, QCOM, MRAM, DSPG, FB, HLIT, BMCH, TWTR

SACHEM HEAD CAPITAL

• Top new buys: AGN, WWE, FLEX, GDS, TWOU
• Cut stakes in: PCG, YNDX, EXP, USFD, CRM

SANDELL ASSET MANAGEMENT

• Top new buys: GWR, DIS, FIS, VOD, AXL, DLPH, MANU, HUN
• Top exits: CSX, APTV, RACE
• Boosted stakes in: AGN, CY, TIVO, AAL, PCRX
• Cut stakes in: WCG, ONCE, ADSW, ZAYO, CELG, URI, MAXR

SENATOR INVESTMENTS

• Top new buys: FISV, W, INVH, GS, JNJ, NSC, UTX, DPZ, PLAY, COP
• Top exits: MRK, CBOE, DIS, MRVL, AXTA, COLD, LIN, SHW, PTC, QCOM
• Boosted stakes in: FIS, WM, VICI, LBRDK, CHTR, VRTX, SE, TW
• Cut stakes in: AVTR, LYFT, FB, APTV, BA, BDX, BSX, DHR, EFX, GOOG

SOROBAN CAPITAL

• Top new buys: LIN, DPZ, SAP
• Top exits: LRCX, AMAT, STZ
• Boosted stakes in: RTN, NSC, UNP, WIX, BABA, AXTA
• Cut stakes in: SNE, UTX, GOOGL, NXPI, QRVO

SOROS

• Top new buys: PTON, ALC, ALLY, ORCC, COG, D, TDG, LNG, FTCH, EEFT
• Top exits: QQQ, DIS, IWB, VMC, CAG, MKC, CL, WORK, LYFT, AGN
• Boosted stakes in: CELG, EPC, VST, NLY, C, NLOK, AGNC, EBAY, MNRL, MDLZ
• Cut stakes in: CZR, VICI, MS, ADM, LBRDK, MTB, VNOM, CF, OIBR/C, CY

STARBOARD

• Top new buys: BOX
• Top exits: CARS, DLTR, MRVL, NTUS, KAR
• Boosted stakes in: NLOK, ACM, CERN
• Cut stakes in: PRGO, AAP, RPM, EBAY, IWR, SCOR

TEMASEK HOLDINGS

• Top new buys: FIS, PAGS, TME, TAL
• Top exits: TW, AMRS, SVMK, AYX
• Boosted stakes in: PYPL, V, HDB, WORK, STNE
• Cut stakes in: DELL

TIGER GLOBAL

• Top new buys: NEWR, W, PLAN, WORK, BYND, WDAY, DDOG, DT, LVGO, DOYU
• Top exits: PVTL, LK
• Boosted stakes in: BABA, FB, CVNA, RUN, RNG, SMAR, PDD, MDB, CRM, TEAM
• Cut stakes in: FCAU, SVMK, SPOT, STNE, RDFN

THIRD POINT

• Top new buys: AGN, FIS, FIVE, HDS, ZEN, ANSS, GDDY, NVST, SDC, AFYA
• Top exits: MPC, NFLX, ROST, CC, PINS, TWLO, ZM, PSN, CRWD, VICI
• Boosted stakes in: BURL, CRM, IQV, SPGI, SHY
• Cut stakes in: BAX, FOXA, PYPL, ADBE, BSX, TW, CNC, CCO, CPB

TRIAN

• Top exits: PPG
• Boosted stakes in: PG, MDLZ, LM, GE
• Cut stakes in: WEN, BK

TUDOR INVESTMENT

• Top new buys: PSA, MAR, VIAB, ANTM, V, TRCB, DHI, MET, FRT, JNJ
• Top exits: EMB, SPG, CNC, LHX, LLY, EXPE, LSI, CMG, CSX
• Boosted stakes in: SPY, STI, AGN, CELG, SBUX, EXR, AYX, TEAM, CFG, DAL
• Cut stakes in: EEM, CSCO, CRM, WORK, ETSY, AAPL, HUBS, DBX, FB, EBAY

VALUEACT

• Top new buys: LKQ, PCG
• Top exits: BKNG, XPO, EIX
• Boosted stakes in: STRA, HE, EVA, DAR, UFI, AES, TRN
• Cut stakes in: C, MS, CBRE, ACA, PSN, LIND, KKR

VIKING GLOBAL INVESTORS

• Top new buys: NOW, FTV, GH, MOH, MIDD, PGR, URI, EW, SAGE, NVST
• Top exits: UNH, MU, WORK, DVA, NVDA, AOS, WCG, BERY, NXPI, CHWY
• Boosted stakes in: SQ, NFLX, LOW, CRM, BABA, GDI, AIZ, ILMN, EQH, AMZN
• Cut stakes in: UTX, ANTM, ATVI, ADBE, FB, MSFT, JD, CNC, ALGN, BA

WHALE ROCK CAPITAL MANAGEMENT

• Top new buys: PLAN, MTCH ESTC, FIVN
• Top exits: PYPL, NFLX, ADI, SQ
• Boosted stakes: SNAP, CVNA, STNE, SE
• Cut stakes: MSFT, MRVL, OKTA, TWLO, MINE