In investing circles these days, there is a noticeable difference of opinion concerning if and when oil and gas will rebound from their depressed prices and, if so, how great the recovery will be.
George Soros (Trades, Portfolio), the world’s 24th-wealthiest person, according to Bloomberg, has not been immune to conflicting impulses about energy holdings. Last year he made headlines with his investments in coal companies; in the fourth quarter, he bought more than 3.7 million shares in a natural gas pipeline group, but he also sold all or part of several stakes in energy companies.
Many of his largest transactions of the quarter involved energy stocks.
Soros made more than 100 new buys in the fourth quarter, the most noteworthy being his investment in a 7,127,865-share stake in Synchrony Financial (SYF, Financial), a financial services company based in Stamford, Connecticut. Soros paid an average price of $31.32 per share in a deal that had a 4.03% impact on Soros’ portfolio.
Soros’ stake in Synchrony is 0.85% of the company’s outstanding shares and 4.03% of Soros’ total assets. Synchrony’s leading shareholder among the gurus is First Eagle Investment (Trades, Portfolio) with a stake of 10,546,837 shares. The stake is 1.26% of Synchrony’s outstanding shares and 0.8% of First Eagle’s total assets.
Synchrony has a P/E of 9.9, a forward P/E of 8.9, a P/B of 1.7 and a P/S of 1.8. GuruFocus gives Synchrony a Financial Strength rating of 5/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 5/10.
Synchrony sold for $26.77 per share Friday.
Soros’ second-most significant acquisition was the purchase of a 3,739,272-share stake in Columbia Pipeline Group Inc. (CPGX, Financial), a Houston-based group of companies that own and operate natural gas pipelines, for an average price of $19.84 per share. The transaction had a 1.39% impact on Soros’ portfolio.
Soros’ stake is 0.94% of Columbia Pipeline Group’s outstanding shares and 1.39% of the guru’s total assets. T Rowe Price Equity Income Fund (Trades, Portfolio) is Columbia Pipeline Group’s leading shareholder among the gurus with 8,005,000 shares in its portfolio. The stake is 2% of Columbia Pipeline Group’s outstanding shares and 0.72% of the guru’s total assets.
Columbia Pipeline Group has a P/E of 47.4, a forward P/E of 22.9, a P/B of 2.1 and a P/S of 5.2. GuruFocus gives Columbia Pipeline Group a Financial Strength rating of 6/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 4/10.
Columbia Pipeline Group sold for $17.08 per share Friday.
Soros bought a 930,000-share stake in iShares iBoxx $ High Yield Corporate Bond Fund (HYG, Financial) for an average price of $81.94 per share. The transaction had a 1.39% impact on Soros’ portfolio.
The stake is 1.39% of Soros’ total assets.
With 2,391,730 shares in his portfolio, Ken Fisher (Trades, Portfolio) is the Fund’s leading shareholder among the gurus. The stake is 0.38% of Fisher’s total assets.
The Fund sold for $77.64 per share Friday.
Soros trimmed nearly four dozen stakes in his portfolio. The most noteworthy reduction was the paring of his stake in YPF Sociedad Anonima (YPF, Financial), a petroleum and natural gas company based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, by more than 88%. Soros sold 8,920,336 shares for an average price of $18.32 per share. The deal had a -2.32% impact on his portfolio.
Soros’ remaining stake of 1,213,620 shares is 0.31% of the company’s outstanding shares and 0.35% of the guru’s total assets.
YPF Sociedad Anonima has a P/E of 13.6, a forward P/E of 4.7, a P/B of 1.2 and a P/S of 0.7. GuruFocus gives YPF Sociedad Anonima a Financial Strength rating of 4/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 7/10.
YPF Sociedad Anonima sold for $17.3 per share Friday.
Soros reduced his stake in Allergan PLC (AGN, Financial), a Dublin-based pharmaceutical company, by nearly 53%. Soros sold 409,176 shares for an average price of $298.52 per share. The transaction had a -1.9% impact on his portfolio.
Soros’ remaining stake in Allergan is 365,390 shares, which is 0.09% of Allergan’s outstanding shares and 2.12% of Soros’ total assets. Vanguard Health Care Fund (Trades, Portfolio) is Allergan’s leading shareholder among the gurus with a stake of 10,962,347 shares. The stake is 2.78% of Allergan’s outstanding shares and 6.81% of Vanguard’s total assets.
Allergan has a P/E of 36.3, a forward P/E of 14.2, a P/B of 1.5 and a P/S of 4.7. GuruFocus gives Allergan a Financial Strength rating of 6/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 7/10.
Allergan sold for $275.75 per share Friday.
Soros also trimmed his stake in Facebook Inc. (FB, Financial), an online social networking service based in Menlo Park, California, by nearly 55%. Soros sold 989,114 shares for an average price of $102.98 per share. The deal had a -1.52% impact on Soros’ portfolio.
Soros’ remaining stake in Facebook is 816,761 shares, which is 0.03% of Facebook’s outstanding shares and 1.59% of Soros’ total assets. Facebook’s leading shareholder among the gurus is Frank Sands (Trades, Portfolio) with a stake of 24,017,872 shares. The stake is 0.84% of Facebook’s outstanding shares and 6.48% of Sands’ total assets.
Facebook has a P/E of 106.7, a forward P/E of 28, a P/B of 6.7 and a P/S of 16.6. GuruFocus gives Facbook a Financial Strength rating of 7/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 7/10.
Facebook sold for $104.57 per share Friday.
Soros sold 80 stakes in his portfolio in the fourth quarter. The most noteworthy was the sale of his 5,881,992-share stake in Vipshop Holdings Ltd. (VIPS, Financial), a Chinese company operating that country’s leading online discount retailer, for an average price of $17.5 per share. The transaction had a -1.69% impact on Soros’ portfolio.
Chase Coleman (Trades, Portfolio) is Vipshop Holdings’ leading shareholder among the gurus with a stake of 49.5 million shares. The stake is 8.51% of Vipshop Holdings’ outstanding shares and 6.08% of the guru’s total assets.
Vipshop Holdings has a P/E of 29.9, a forward P/E of 14.6, a P/B of 11.2 and a P/S of 1.4. GuruFocus gives Vipshop Holdings a Financial Strength rating of 8/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 3/10.
Vipshop Holdings sold for $12.56 per share Friday.
Soros sold his 1,007,055-share stake in NextEra Energy Inc. (NEE, Financial), an electric utilities company based in Juno Beach, Florida, for an average price of $101.28 per share. The deal had a -1.68% impact on Soros’ portfolio.
NextEra Energy’s leading shareholder among the gurus is Jim Simons (Trades, Portfolio) with a stake of 721,300 shares. The stake is 0.16% of NextEra Energy’s outstanding shares and 0.16% of Simons’ total assets.
NextEra Energy has a P/E of 16.5, a forward P/E of 17.6, a P/B of 2.3 and a P/S of 2.9. GuruFocus gives NextEra Energy a Financial Strength rating of 6/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 7/10.
NextEra Energy sold for $114.75 per share Friday.
Soros sold his 11,161,666-share stake in PMC-Sierra Inc. (PMCS, Financial), a Sunnyvale, California-based semiconductor company, for an average price of $11.41 per share. The transaction had a -1.29% impact on Soros’ portfolio.
Simons is PMC-Sierra’s leading shareholder among the gurus with a stake of 1,511,388 shares. The stake is 0.76% of PMC-Sierra’s outstanding shares and 0.04% of Simons’ total assets.
PMC-Sierra has a P/E of 554.8, a forward P/E of 16.3, a P/B of 3.9 and a P/S of 4.5. GuruFocus gives PMC-Sierra a Financial Strength rating of 9/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 6/10.
PMC-Sierra sold for $11.65 per share Friday.
Soros sold his 982,116-share stake in Schlumberger Ltd. (SLB, Financial), an oilfield services and equipment company with offices in Houston, Paris, London and the Hague, for an average price of $74.96 per share. The divestiture had a -1.16% impact on his portfolio.
Schlumberger’s leading shareholder among the gurus is Dodge & Cox with a stake of 63,361,537 shares. The stake is 5.04% of Schlumberger’s outstanding shares and 4.34% of Dodge & Cox’s total assets.
Schlumberger has a P/E of 27.3, a forward P/E of 25.5, a P/B of 2.6 and a P/S of 2.6. GuruFocus gives Schlumberger a Financial Strength rating of 7/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 7/10.
Schlumberger sold for $72.87 per share Friday.
Soros raised his position in EQT Corp. (EQT, Financial), a natural gas producer based in Pittsburgh, by more than 1,423%. Soros purchased 1,358,936 shares for an average price of $61.42 per share. The deal had a 1.32% impact on Soros’ portfolio.
Soros’ stake, now 1,454,430 shares, is 0.95% of EQT’s outstanding shares and 1.41% of Soros’ total assets. Soros is EQT’s leading shareholder among the gurus.
EQT has a P/E of 43.3, a forward P/E of 47.2, a P/B of 1.8 and a P/S of 3.9. GuruFocus gives EQT a Financial Strength rating of 7/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 7/10.
EQT sold for $58.89 per share Friday.
Soros increased his stake in Level 3 Communications Inc. (LVLT, Financial), a telecommunications and Internet service provider based in Broomfield, Colorado, by more than 59%. Soros acquired 1,183,962 shares for an average price of $50.24 per share. The transaction had a 1.2% impact on Soros’ portfolio.
Soros’ stake in Level 3 Communications is now 3,189,433 shares, which is 0.9% of the company’s outstanding shares and 3.22% of Soros’ total assets. Level 3 Communications’ leading shareholder among the gurus is Mason Hawkins (Trades, Portfolio) with 32,931,724 shares in his portfolio. The stake is 9.24% of Level 3 Communications’ outstanding shares and 16.21% of Hawkins’ total assets.
Level 3 Communications has a P/E of 97.7, a forward P/E of 20.8, a P/B of 1.7 and a P/S of 2.1. GuruFocus gives Level 3 Communications a Financial Strength rating of 6/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 4/10.
Level 3 Communications sold for $48.17 per share Friday.
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