Hedge fund Stock Picks

On phase at Lincoln Center in Manhattan for 20th annual Sohn Investment Conference, a record of popular hedge investment supervisors from David Einhorn to Bill Ackman had a quarter-hour apiece to pitch their utmost financial investment a few ideas.

Here’s a rundown of who’s long on which companies, and just why:

Barry Rosenstein, creator and managing companion of Jana Partners: Qualcomm

Extolling the virtues of shareholder activism, Rosenstein described exactly what he labeled as a “before and after picture” of trader influence into the boardroom—using as their examples two companies where Jana Partners had committed to purchase to push for improvements to the business. “One is working constructively with shareholders, and I also believe one will someday, ” Rosenstein said.

1st (the “after” image) was Walgreens, which had floundered until its current merger with Swiss drugstore company Alliance Boots. Jana Partners helped accelerate the closing of this merger, pressing for this to wrap up in belated 2014 rather than this season as initially anticipated, Rosenstein said. Since that time, the organization in addition has stated a share repurchase program and other steps at Jana’s behest. (The merged business, Walgreens Boots Alliance , features seen its stock rise about 10% because the merger ended up being finished, compared with a rise of 3% in S&P 500.)

The prosperity of that activist campaign has actually led Rosenstein to bet on Qualcomm , which can be in an equivalent circumstance on one Walgreens was in before Jana got involved, he said—in various other terms, Qualcomm is the “before” picture to Jana’s activism. “Like the old Walgreens, Qualcomm is an iconic brand name that numerous recognize features lost its means, ” Rosenstein stated. Currently, the company has established a share buyback and a price analysis “at our urging, ” Rosenstein said.

Keith Meister, founder and managing companion of Corvex control: Yum! companies

Meister, who struggled to obtain Carl Icahn before introducing the $8 billion Corvex, explained that he’d recently spent $1.5 billion in Yum! companies —his “second biggest investment previously, ” Meister stated.

The company owns KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, and one-third of the company is in Asia, where those American “iconic companies” tend to be ever more popular, Meister stated. Whilst China restaurants had experienced a few “food scandals” causing Yum’s stock cost to stagnate and become “range certain, ” Meister stated the organization is recuperating, yet remains undervalued.

To be able to unlock more value, Meister is advocating when it comes to business to spin off its Asia business into an independent company and adopt a team framework similar to Yum’s U.S. businesses. Already, 51per cent of consumers in Asia title KFC as his or her favorite destination to eat, Meister said, and the brand new organization would gain since the Chinese middle-class expands. “By spinning off China and getting into a franchise contract, you are doing exactly what cannot be done—you make your very own franchise, run because of the exact same great management that is been working Yum, ” Meister said. “[It] has actually best-in-class U.S. corporate governance, U.S.-educated China national administration, and huge returns on invested money.”

Leon Cooperman, president and CEO of Omega Advisors: Actavis, Citigroup and others

Cooperman, a veteran hedge investment supervisor recognized for their winning stock picks, exposed their consult with a synopsis of his perspective on the market. Despite people’ problems that shares are overvalued, Cooperman stated he thought the present normal price-to-earnings ratio of approximately 17 had been “about correct, ” and therefore he didn’t see any indications that we were heading for an accident.

“i'd realize that bear markets don't emerge away from immaculate conception, ” Cooperman said. “If there’s a bubble around, the bubble is within the fixed income market.”

With an expectation that equities will return 7percent to 9per cent including dividends in 2010, Cooperman launched into many their favorite picks, including pharmaceutical organization Actavis , Citigroup, Dow Chemical, General Motors, Google and Priceline.

A few minutes earlier in the day, an other buyer had expected Cooperman, whether he was “nervous that Actavis is extremely greatly had by hedge investment managers, ” but Cooperman said he had been extremely comfortable getting the business. Trading at only 16 times earnings, Cooperman said the company had been “selling at an amazing rebate.”

Citigroup normally undervalued, because it’s a “world class franchise selling at nine times earnings” and it also’s growing, Cooperman said.

As he performedn’t have time to describe most of their jobs, Cooperman provided a choose for those who are “contrary within thinking, ” and believe propane costs will increase: Gulf Coast Ultra Deep Royalty Trust . While it trades at significantly less than $1 per share, Cooperman said the royalty trust capitalizes on one jackpot of a gusher, and possesses the ability to drill 20 more wells on the same website it already manages.

Larry Robbins, founder and portfolio manager of Glenview Capital Management: AbbVie, Brookdale

a health bull which pitched insurers Humana and WellPoint eventually year’s Sohn meeting, Robbins this present year proposed pharmaceutical firm AbbVie and elder treatment business Brookdale Senior life .

Though Robbins made the case for every organization by itself, he stated that the ongoing M&A trend inside health industry could gain both organizations. Of AbbVie, he stated that “we don’t determine if they’re going to be the pill this is certainly swallowed” or even the acquirer of another company, “but future combinations offer extra optionality.” (just last year, AbbVie stepped from its recommended acquisition of Ireland-based Shire after the U.S. federal government launched harder limitations on taxation inversions—a maneuver by which AbbVie had planned to transfer to Ireland after the bargain, therefore reducing its taxation price. “We respect the decision the board made, ” Robbins said.)

Meanwhile, the consolidation in healthcare has placed additional pressure on businesses like AbbVie to work more efficiently, Robbins stated. “They’re sensation it from the Valeants, Actavises, even Pfizer, and activists like [hedge fund] Pershing Square pushing them to believe like proprietors, ” he stated.