Hedge funds made strategic adjustments to their portfolios throughout the first quarter of 2024.
Firms are looking for high-return opportunities beyond the mega-cap tech giants preferring to focus on cyclical sectors and artificial intelligence (AI)-related infrastructure stocks.
Except for Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL), positions in several 'Magnificent Seven' stocks — Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL), Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN), Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA), Microsoft Corp (NYSE:MSFT), and MetaPlatforms Inc (NASDAQ:META) — were trimmed from hedge funds.
Still, the strong performance of the so-called 'Magnificent 7′ tech stocks maintained their weight at 13% of hedge fund long portfolios, according to the latest Goldman Sachs' Hedge Fund Monitor report.
Cyclical Sectors
In parallel, hedge funds expanded their investments in cyclical sectors, elevating the exposure to Financials.
Information Technology remained the largest net sector weight at the start of Q2 2024. It accounts for 18% of total net exposure. However, it also registered the largest underweight relative to the Russell 3000, with a -913 basis points (bp) difference. Health Care was the largest overweight sector, with a +375 bp difference.
Sector
Hedge Funds' Net Weight
Russell 3000 Weight
Hedge Fund Net Tilt
Health Care
15.8%
12.0%
+375 bp
Communication Services
11.0%
8.8%
+226 bp
Industrials
12.1%
9.9%
+222 bp
Materials
4.8%
2.7%
+205 bp
Energy
4.9%
3.8%
+109 bp
Consumer Discretionary
11.9%
10.8%
+107 bp
Utilities
2.8%
2.1%
+76 bp
Financials
13.3%
14.2%
-98 bp
Real Estate
1.5%
2.6%
-114 bp
Consumer Staples
4.0%
6.0%
-196 bp
Information Technology
17.9%
27.0%
-913 bp
Total
100.0%
100.0%
0 bp
There was also a notable rotation towards utilities, reflecting a broader AI investment focus.
In particular, hedge funds have shown a keen interest in Phase 2 Infrastructure stocks within the AI sector. Among the companies that have seen the largest increase in hedge fund popularity, are:
Marvell Technology Inc. (NASDAQ:MRVL)
TD Synnex Corporation (NYSE:SNX)
AES Corporation (NYSE:AES)
LittelfuseInc. (NASDAQ:LFUS)
See Also: AI-Driven Rally Set To Expand To Power, Commodities, Utilities: 'It's Not Just About Nvidia Anymore'
Most Popular Hedge Funds' Increase In AI Universe During Q1 2024
Name
Subsector
Marvell Technology, Inc.
Semiconductors
TD SYNNEX Corporation
Technology Distributors
Apple Inc.
Technology Hardware Storage & Peripherals
AES Corporation
Independent Power Producers & Energy Traders
Littelfuse, Inc.
Electronic Components
Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE)
Application Software
Freeport-McMoRan, Inc. (NYSE:FCX)
Copper
Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (NYSE:WBA)
Drug Retail
Nextracker Inc. Class A (NASDAQ:NXT)
Electrical Components & Equipment
First American Financial Corporation (NYSE:FAF)
Property & Casualty Insurance
Most Concentrated Hedge Fund Holdings In The S&P 500
The Goldman Sachs' Hedge Fund Monitor asserts that portfolio concentration among hedge funds remains particularly elevated.
The typical hedge fund maintains 70% of its long portfolio in the top 10 positions. This trend remained extremely elevated in Q1 2024.
The following table details the top 20 most concentrated hedge fund holdings within the S&P 500, highlighting where hedge funds are investing their capital.
Company
Sector
Sub-sector
% of Equity Cap Owned by Hedge Funds
Bath & Body Works (NYSE:BBWI)
Consumer Discretionary
Other Specialty Retail
27%
Hess Corp. (NYSE:HES)
Energy
Oil & Gas Exploration & Production
16%
Ralph Lauren Corp. (NYSE:RL)
Consumer Discretionary
Apparel Accessories & Luxury Goods
15%
Expedia Group Inc. (NYSE:EXPE)
Consumer Discretionary
Hotels, Resorts & Cruise Lines
14%
Universal Health Svc. (NYSE:UHS)
Health Care
Health Care Facilities
14%
Western Digital (NASDAQ:WDC)
Information Technology
Technology Hardware, Storage & Peripherals
13%
NRG Energy Inc. (NYSE:NRG)
Utilities
Electric Utilities
13%
Invesco Ltd. (NYSE:IVZ)
Financials
Asset Management & Custody Banks
13%
Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST)
Utilities
Independent Power Producers & Energy Traders
13%
Caesars Entertainment (NYSE:CZR)
Consumer Discretionary
Casinos & Gaming
12%
Evergy Inc. (NASDAQ:EVRG)
Utilities
Electric Utilities
12%
Catalent Inc. (NYSE:CTLT)
Health Care
Pharmaceuticals
11%
Juniper Networks (NYSE:JNPR)
Information Technology
Communications Equipment
11%
Dollar Tree Inc. (NYSE:DLTR)
Consumer Staples
Consumer Staples Merchandise Retail
11%
NiSource Inc. (NYSE:NI)
Utilities
Multi-Utilities
10%
Incyte Corp. (NASDAQ:INCY)
Health Care
Biotechnology
10%
Lamb Weston Holdings (NYSE:LW)
Consumer Staples
Packaged Foods & Meats
10%
Qorvo Inc. (NASDAQ:QRVO)
Information Technology
Semiconductors
10%
Synchrony Financial (NYSE:SYF)
Financials
Consumer Finance
10%
Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM)
Health Care
Managed Health Care
10%
Now Read: Inflation Stresses Retail Traders As Fed Cuts Look Unlikely, Crypto Doubts Increase: Survey
オーストラリアでは、moomooの投資商品及びサービスはMoomoo Securities Australia Limitedによって提供され、オーストラリア証券投資委員会(ASIC)の管理を受けております(AFSL No. 224663)。「金融サービスガイド」、「利用規約」、「プライバシーポリシー」などの詳細は、Moomoo Securities Australia Limitedのウェブサイトhttps://www.moomoo.com/auでご確認いただけます。
オーストラリアでは、moomooの投資商品及びサービスはMoomoo Securities Australia Limitedによって提供され、オーストラリア証券投資委員会(ASIC)の管理を受けております(AFSL No. 224663)。「金融サービスガイド」、「利用規約」、「プライバシーポリシー」などの詳細は、Moomoo Securities Australia Limitedのウェブサイトhttps://www.moomoo.com/auでご確認いただけます。