Every quarter, many money managers have to disclose what they've bought and sold, via 13F filings. Their latest moves can shine a bright light on smart stock picks.
Today let's look at activist investment firm Relational Investors. Based in San Diego and run by Ralph Whitworth, the company has made a name for itself by agitating for changes at many major corporations, such as Genzyme and Home Depot. (At Home Depot, Whitworth called for the company to exit its commercial building supply business.)
The company's reportable stock portfolio totaled $5.5 billion in value as of June 30, 2012, and contained just a couple dozen stocks. Indeed, the top 10 holdings make up about 75% of the overall portfolio's value.
Interesting developments
So what does Relational Investors' latest quarterly 13F filing tell us? Here are a few interesting details:
For starters, there were no new holdings.
Among holdings in which Relational Investors increased its stake were Esterline Technologies
Flowserve, up 42% and hitting a 52-week high recently, specializes in industrial flow management equipment. Bulls like its backlog and share repurchases, and they're also hopeful that the folks at Relational might spur the company to make some profit-plumping moves. One promising catalyst is the possible increase in pipeline capacity to meet demand from utilities and new oil and gas fields.
Relational Investors reduced its stake in several companies, such as Occidental Petroleum
Finally, Relational Investors unloaded several companies, such as Applied Materials
Caterpillar, meanwhile, seems quite strong, with revenue and earnings averaging 19% and 59% growth rates, respectively, over the past three years. With a yield near 2.4%, it has been a volatile stock lately, but its prospects are solid: As the global economy improves, there will be more infrastructure and construction work requiring its machines. The company, which has long taken a hard line with unions, also recently settled a strike. Its second quarter featured record sales but also a lowered outlook, due to slowing growth in China and elsewhere. It's also being sued by some major investors for allegedly wasting company assets via compensation plans.
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, and 13-F forms can be great places to find intriguing candidates for our portfolios.
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