Every quarter, fund managers have to disclose what they've bought and sold. Their latest moves can shine a bright light on smart stock picks.
Today, let's look at investing giant George Soros. Soros is known to some folks these days for his politics and philanthropy, but his fame stems from his wealth, which is a result of his outstanding investing prowess. He founded Soros Fund Management back in 1973, and under its umbrella the Quantum funds racked up an amazing record, reportedly averaging close to 20% annual growth over four decades.
Soros' stock portfolio totaled $4.6 billion in value as of Dec. 31, 2011, down 21% over last quarter. His top three holdings, representing more than 30% of the portfolio's total value, are Motorola Solutions, InterOil, and the agricultural company Adecoagro.
Interesting developments
So what does Mr. Soros' latest 13F filing tell us? Well, for one thing, he's concentrating his holdings much more, having completely sold out of several hundred stocks and ending up with about 145.
Here are a few more interesting details:
Among Soros' new holdings is MELA Sciences
Chinese search engine Baidu.com
Among the holdings that Soros trimmed was biotech concern Elan
Two of the companies that Soros completely sold out of are Sirius XM Radio
We should never blindly copy any investor's moves, no matter how talented the investor. But it can be useful to keep an eye on what smart folks are doing. 13F forms can be great places to find intriguing candidates for our portfolios.
Looking for promising investments? Check out our free special report -- "The Stocks Only the Smartest Investors Are Buying" -- and learn which stocks are appealing to Warren Buffett and other great investors.