Billionaire George Soros' 7 Top Stock Picks

I don't know how any of you feel about George Soros.  He has been both lionized and vilified. Nonetheless, he is right up there with Warren Buffett as one of history's top investors so it is worth making note of the top 7 stocks in his portfolio.  Enjoy Presidents Day tomorrow.  

FEBRUARY 17, 2023 Invested Advice, rankings and stock market news for investors.

Happy Friday, investors! Stocks drop on a stream of hotter-than-hoped economic data and hawkish Fed commentary. Highlights of today's newsletter include our market insights plus these new articles: Billionaire George Soros' 7 Top Stock Picks 9 Best Small-Cap Stocks to Buy for 2023 9 Green REITs for Sustainable Investing How to Retire by 40, According to People Who Have Done It TODAY'S FEATURED STOCK STORY Billionaire George Soros' 7 Top Stock Picks George Soros is one of the most successful investors in history. His Soros Fund Management currently manages $8.4 billion in assets, and Soros himself has an estimated net worth of $6.7 billion after donating more than $30 billion to philanthropic causes. Soros formerly managed the Quantum Fund, which generated an average annual return of 30% over a 30-year period from 1970 to 2000. Soros also famously made a $1 billion profit in a single day in 1992 by short selling the British pound. Here are seven of the Soros Fund's top stock holdings, according to its latest 13F filings: Horizon Therapeutics PLC (HZNP). Horizon Therapeutics is a commercial-stage specialty pharmaceutical company. In December, Horizon shares jumped on news that Amgen Inc. (AMGN) plans to acquire Horizon in a $27.8 billion deal at a price of $116.50 per share. Horizon's shareholders must vote to approve the deal, and global regulators must greenlight the merger. The market doesn't see the buyout as a done deal just yet, given Horizon shares are trading at only about $110 per share. But Soros Fund Management bought more than 2.8 million shares of HZNP in the fourth quarter, worth about $325.3 million. Portfolio weight: 4.5% Rivian Automotive Inc. (RIVN). Rivian Automotive is an electric vehicle startup that went public in November 2021 and began delivering its first R1T electric pickup trucks in late 2021. Soros immediately took a big stake in Rivian, buying 19.8 million shares and making it his largest holding during Rivian's first quarter on the public market. Even after selling more than 5 million shares since that time, Soros' remaining Rivian stake is still worth roughly $264 million. Rivian shares are now trading more than 70% below their $78 initial public offering price. Portfolio weight: 3.7% Click here to continue reading. First Horizon Corp. (FHN) Portfolio weight: 2.9% First Horizon is a U.S. regional bank focused in Tennessee with an additional footprint in the Carolinas and Florida. First Horizon is a brand-new position for Soros. The Soros Fund purchased more than 8.5 million shares of FHN stock in the fourth quarter of 2022 worth about $209.1 million, making the stock the fund's third-largest stock holding. Rising interest rates typically increase banks' net interest margins, but only if the U.S. economy can avoid a recession. First Horizon may be Soros' bet on a soft landing for the U.S. economy in 2023.   Alphabet Inc. (GOOG, GOOGL) Portfolio weight: 2.1% Google and YouTube parent company Alphabet may not be the high-growth stock it once was, but it is extremely profitable and reasonably valued at a forward earnings multiple of just 15.4. Soros first invested in Alphabet back in the first quarter of 2017. Since that time, the stock has more than doubled in value and outpaced the S&P 500 by about 50%. Soros took advantage of Alphabet's weakness in the fourth quarter and scooped up another 743,160 shares of GOOGL stock. The Soros Fund now holds more than 1.75 million Alphabet shares, worth about $155 million.   Aramark (ARMK) Portfolio weight: 1.9% Aramark provides food, facilities and uniform services to hospitals, schools, stadiums and other businesses. The food services industry was crushed during the pandemic, and Aramark's revenue dropped more than 20% in 2020. Unfortunately, Soros first invested in Aramark in the first quarter of 2020. Even though the food services industry has recovered significantly and Aramark reported 17% revenue growth in the fourth quarter, ARMK shares still have not recovered to pre-pandemic highs. Soros cut his Aramark position in the fourth quarter, selling 270,131 shares and bringing his total stake down to 3.39 million shares worth about $140 million.   Altra Industrial Motion Corp. (AIMC) Portfolio weight: 1.7% Altra Industrial Motion designs and produces electromechanical power transmission motion controls. In October, the company announced a $4.95 billion buyout by Regal Rexnord Corp. (RRX). Soros took a 2-million-share stake in Altra Industrial in the fourth quarter valued at $119.5 million, presumably as a risk arbitrage play on the buyout news. Both Soros and the market seem confident the deal will not fall through. The buyout announcement sent AIMC shares soaring nearly 50% back in October. Unfortunately, there appears to be little upside left for Altra investors at the current share price of around $61.50.   Bowlero Corp. (BOWL) Portfolio weight: 1.5% Bowlero owns and operates bowling centers. Bowlero went public via a merger with a special-purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, in 2021. Soros was an early investor, and the stock has held up relatively well since its merger compared to other high-profile SPACs. In January, Bowlero said it reached a record $1 billion in trailing-12-month revenue for the first time. In the fourth quarter, Soros sold 645,697 shares of BOWL stock, reducing his position by about 7%. However, Soros Fund Management still holds more than 8.1 million shares of Bowlero worth about $109.9 million.