Billionaire sells Palantir and instead piles into the energy firm's stock
On Wall Street, there is always a surplus of data for investors to analyse. The period known as "earnings season" brings annual reports on the financial performance of most S&P 500 companies, along with a host of economic statistics. In the flood of this information, however, it can be easy to miss a key event, as was the case on August 14, when large institutional investors released their quarterly Forms 13F to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).
One of the most interesting summaries belonged to Philippe Laffont, who runs hedge fund Coatue Management. This fund, with around $25.7 billion in assets under management, focuses primarily on technology stocks. What surprised investors, however, was his dramatic move to sell his entire position in one of the hottest technology companies today - Palantir Technologies.
Why did Laffont sell Palantir to $PLTR?
Coatue Management sold over 4.8 million shares of Palantir in the second quarter, one of the largest divestitures of the company in the period. This may have been due to the sharp rise in the price of the stock, which Laffont acquired for $8 in the first quarter of 2023 and is now trading at over $20. The move may have been motivated by a desire to realize profits, especially as the value of the company more than doubled.
Another reason may have been concern about an exorbitant valuation. Palantir was trading at values representing 100 times future earnings and 29 times sales, very high multiples for a company with annual sales growth of about 20%. While Palantir has a strong market position with its AI platforms like Gotham and Foundry, the current valuation may have been too risky for Laffont.
Moreover, despite his optimism towards AI, Laffont may have perceived signs of a potential bubble in the AI technology market. History teaches us that every technological revolution often goes through a phase of excessive optimism that ends with the "popping" of a bubble. In this case, Palantir could be hit by a slowdown in AI investment.
What was Laffont buying instead?
While Laffont was exiting Palantir stock, his fund was heavily focused on shares of NextEra Energy $NEE, a leader in renewableenergy . During the second quarter, Coatue increased his position by 36%, holding more than 1 million shares of the company.
Investing in utility companies is traditionally seen as a conservative move with an emphasis on stability and regular dividends. However, NextEra Energy is an exception due to its focus on growth through clean energy. The company plans to invest up to $95 billion in renewable infrastructure by 2025, and already has 72 GW of capacity, nearly half of which comes from solar and wind.
What sets NextEra apart from other utilities is not only its size, but also its ability to grow steadily. That's why Laffont sees potential in the company and why he decided to increase his position. The move is also indicative of a broader trend where investors are reassessing their portfolios in favour of companies that focus on long-term sustainability and innovation in the energy sector.
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Source: Yahoo Finance.