Here’s an idea. Instead of spending hours find and researching stocks on
your own, why not simply mimic the trades of your favorite investing
guru?
For instance, if you like Warren Buffett’s investing style, you’d
want to know that the “Oracle of Omaha” recently established new
positions in Charter Communications (CHTR) and energy products
distributor Now Inc. (DNOW). He also added substantially to existing
positions in Verizon Communications (VZ) and international telecom
provider Liberty Global Plc (LBTYA). On the other hand, Buffett
closed-out or substantially reduced his holdings of ConocoPhillips
(COP), diversified education and media company Graham Holdings (GHC),
and TV programming provider Starz (STRZA).
I found these tidbits on RelationalStocks.com. (www.relationalstocks.com),
a free site that lists the current holdings and recent trades of more
than 50 prominent investors. The site is easy to use.
From its
homepage, open the
Guru/Institutions dropdown menu and pick a guru that interests you.
When you do, the Top 20 Portfolio Holdings display automatically.
However, I've found recent trades more
valuable than a guru’s total holdings. If you agree, click on
“Buy/Sells” (left-menu) to see his or hers'
recent trades. Besides for Buffett, here are other gurus that I found
interesting.
David Einhorn
Einhorn runs Greenlight Capital, a value-oriented hedge fund. According
to RelationalStocks.com, Einhorn has delivered double-digit returns in
all but two of the past 10-years. Einhorn recently established new
positions in specialty chemical maker Chemtura (CHMT), worker-housing
provider Civeo (CVEO), commercial property finance REIT(real estate
investment trust) NorthStar Realty Finance (NRF), and Time Inc. (TIME).
He closed-out big positions in Rite Aid (RAD), Nokia (NOK) and gambling
casino operator Penn National Gaming (PENN).
Carl Icahn
One of the world’s most visible investors, Icahn regularly makes
headlines when he tries to cajole company managements to make changes
that he thinks would increase the value of their stock. Despite his
sometimes “rough around the edges” approach, Icahn usually makes a
sizable profit on his investments. He recently established big
positions, or significantly increased holdings of Apple, CVR Refining (CVR)
and diversified media company Gannett (GCI). He also closed out
positions in Forest Labs (FRX) and CVR Refining (CVRR).
Robert Olstein
Olstein runs Olstein Capital Management, which, according to
RationalStocks.com, has returned 17% annually since its inception in
1995. Olstein recently initiated new holdings in Whole Foods Markets (WFMI),
medical device maker Medtronic (MDT), home improvement and building
products maker Masco (MAS) and Now Inc. (DNOW). He closed out his
holdings in luxury accessories retailer Coach (COH), semiconductor chip
maker Microsemi (MSCC), and Charles Schwab (SCHW).
Using the Info
It’s important to pick gurus compatible with your investing style. For
instance, Warren Buffett follows a long-term ‘buy and hold’ strategy.
So, there’s no point in tracking his moves if you’re a short-term
trader.
RelationalStocks.com gets its portfolio information from documents that
the gurus or their funds file with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. The holdings information related above came mostly from
documents filed in August. Because of the filing delays, it’s best to
focus on relatively low turnover gurus, such as those mentioned in this
article.