Big Changes in the Carl Icahn Stock Holdings

Investing

Published: May 16, 2014 10:25 am

Activist investor Carl Icahn has made some changes to his portfolio of equities in the latest 13F filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. While there are many positions in there, there were really just a few that will stand out the most for investors.

eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) was a new position after the company’s earnings, but Icahn was shown to own 27.83 million shares as of March 31. As a reminder, Icahn had been very vocal against the company, but he has since reached an accord with eBay.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is another position in which Icahn had been very vocal and has since backed off. The dividend and buybacks (and stock rise) were enough, but Icahn had backed down even before those were formally announced. Icahn was shown to have added 2.8 million shares to more than 7.53 million shares.

Netflix Inc. (NASDAQ: NFLX) is a position that Icahn said he lightened up in, and that he did, to the tune of about one-sixth of his stake. Icahn held 2.244 million shares at the end of the quarter. We would opine that Icahn may even own less of this now, perhaps from stop orders on the pullback. Netflix now trades at $341 after having peaked above $450 in March. The price is not that much different now, but shares did briefly tick under $300 one day in April.

ALSO READ: Warren Buffett’s Big Portfolio Changes

Herbalife Ltd. (NYSE: HLF) has been an on again off again holding as far as the profitability for Icahn, and the fight goes back to his anti-Ackman days. interestingly enough, that feud seems to have ended in the public spotlight. Icahn held 17 million shares at the end of the quarter. That is a 17% stake, but he did not grow that stake in the first quarter.

Nuance Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN) is another activist target that has yet to pan out for Icahn, but he still is the largest holder at about 19% with some 60.78 million shares held. This stock remains around $15, but Icahn’s team has gotten on the board and the company is said to be doing what he is asking — other than making the stock rise.

Again, these are just the major observations that have been more public.

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