Mason Hawkins Sells More Than 93% of Aon Holdings

Guru exits positions in National Oilwell Varco and McDonald's

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May 17, 2016
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Mason Hawkins (Trades, Portfolio) of Southeastern Asset Management made his biggest transaction of the first quarter not with an acquisition but with the near divestiture of a stake.

Hawkins’ top transaction in the first quarter was the sale of more than 93% of his stake in Aon PLC (AON, Financial), a London-based professional services company. Hawkins sold 6,772,289 shares for an average price of $93.56 per share. The deal had a -5.65% impact on Hawkins’ portfolio.

The remaining stake of 485,792 shares is 0.18% of Aon’s outstanding shares and 0.49% of Hawkins’ total assets. Aon’s leading shareholder among the gurus is First Pacific Advisors (Trades, Portfolio) with a stake of 7,045,990 shares. The stake is 2.66% of Aon’s outstanding shares and 6.7% of First Pacific Advisors (Trades, Portfolio)’ total assets.

Aon has a P/E of 21.6, a forward P/E of 14.6, a P/B of 5.3 and a P/S of 2.6. GuruFocus gives Aon a Financial Strength rating of 7/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 8/10.

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Aon sold for $106.18 per share Monday.

The guru trimmed his stake in Everest Re Group Ltd. (RE, Financial), a Bermuda-based insurance underwriter, by nearly 41%. Hawkins sold 903,965 shares for an average price of $184.58 per share. The transaction had a -1.5% impact on his portfolio.

The remaining stake of 1,325,181 shares is 3.13% of the company’s outstanding shares and 2.53% of Hawkins’ total assets. Hawkins is the company’s leading shareholder among the gurus.

Everest Re Group has a P/E of 9.7, a forward P/E of 10.1, a P/B of 1 and a P/S of 1.4. GuruFocus gives Everest Re Group a Financial Strength rating of 7/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 8/10.

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Everest Re Group sold for $184.27 per share Monday.

Hawkins pared his stake in Level 3 Communications Inc. (LVLT, Financial), a Broomfield, Colorado-based telecommunications and Internet service provider, by nearly 9%. The guru sold 2,923,952 shares for an average price of $49.34 per share. The deal had a -1.44% impact on Hawkins’ portfolio.

The remaining stake of 30,007,772 shares is 8.38% of Level 3’s outstanding shares and 15.31% of Hawkins’ total assets. Hawkins is Level 3’s leading shareholder among the gurus.

Level 3 Communications has a P/E of 5.6, a forward P/E of 22.2, a P/B of 1.8 and a P/S of 2.3. GuruFocus gives Level 3 a Financial Strength rating of 6/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 4/10.

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Level 3 sold for $52.41 per share Monday.

Hawkins reduced his stake in Alphabet Inc. (GOOG, Financial), a Mountain View, California-based conglomerate and parent company of Google, by more than 14% with the sale of 172,000 shares for an average price of $716.19 per share. The transaction had a -1.18% impact on Hawkins’ portfolio.

The remaining stake of 1,038,046 shares is 0.15% of Alphabet’s outstanding shares and 7.46% of Hawkins’ total assets. Dodge & Cox is Alphabet’s leading shareholder among the gurus with a stake of 3,213,014 shares. The stake is 0.47% of Alphabet’s outstanding shares and 2.34% of Dodge & Cox’s total assets.

Alphabet has a P/E of 30.8, a forward P/E of 18.2, a P/B of 4.1 and a P/S of 6.5. GuruFocus gives Alphabet a Financial Strength rating of 9/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 9/10.

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Alphabet sold for $716.49 per share Monday.

Hawkins sold nearly 14% of his stake in Scripps Networks Interactive Inc. (SNI, Financial), a Knoxville, Tennessee-based media company. The guru sold 1,782,000 shares for an average price of $59.28 per share. The deal had a -0.89% impact on Hawkins’ portfolio.

The remaining stake of 11,282,835 shares is 8.75% of Scripps Networks’ outstanding shares and 7.13% of Hawkins’ total assets. Hawkins is Scripps Networks’ leading shareholder among the gurus.

Scripps Networks has a P/E of 10.8, a forward P/E of 12, a P/B of 4.5 and a P/S of 2.6. GuruFocus gives Scripps Networks a Financial Strength rating of 5/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 8/10.

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Scripps Networks sold for $64.26 per share Monday.

Hawkins trimmed his stake in Vail Resorts Inc. (MTN, Financial), a Broomfield, Colorado-based operator of ski resorts in the U.S. and Australia and resort hotels around the world, by more than 37%. Hawkins sold 640,057 shares for an average price of $125.07 per share. The transaction had a -0.74% impact on the guru’s portfolio.

The remaining stake of 1,073,700 shares is 2.96% of Vail Resorts’ outstanding shares and 1.39% of Hawkins’ total assets. Vail Resorts’ leading shareholder among the gurus is Ron Baron (Trades, Portfolio) with a stake of 5,157,480 shares. The stake is 14.23% of Vail Resorts’ outstanding shares and 3.65% of Baron’s total assets.

Vail Resorts has a P/E of 40.7, a P/B of 5.5 and a P/S of 3.1. GuruFocus gives Vail Resorts a Financial Strength rating of 5/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 8/10.

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Vail Resorts sold for $128.28 per share Monday.

Hawkins exited his position in National Oilwell Varco Inc. (NOV, Financial), a Houston-based oilfield services and equipment company, with the sale of his 10,804,789-share stake for an average price of $30.54 per share. The divestiture had a -3.28% impact on Hawkins’ portfolio.

National Oilwell Varco’s leading shareholder among the gurus is Dodge & Cox with a stake of 26,622,720 shares. The stake is 7.06% of National Oilwell Varco’s outstanding shares and 0.81% of Dodge & Cox’s total assets.

National Oilwell Varco has a P/B of 0.8 and a P/S of 1. GuruFocus gives National Oilwell Varco a Financial Strength rating of 4/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 7/10.

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National Oilwell Varco sold for $32.24 per share Monday.

Hawkins sold his 1,253,282-share stake in McDonald’s Corp. (MCD, Financial), an Oak Brook, Illinois-based hamburger restaurant chain, for an average price of $119.39 per share. The divestiture had a -1.34% impact on Hawkins’ portfolio.

Spiros Segalas (Trades, Portfolio) is McDonald’s leading shareholder among the gurus with a stake of 2,621,198 shares. The stake is 0.3% of McDonald’s outstanding shares and 1.32% of Segalas’ total assets.

McDonald’s has a P/E of 24.9, a forward P/E of 20.8, a P/B of 30.1 and a P/S of 4.7. GuruFocus gives McDonald’s a Financial Strength rating of 8/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 8/10.

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McDonald’s sold for $129.64 per share Monday.

Hawkins boosted his stake in United Technologies Corp. (UTX, Financial), a Farmington, Connecticut-based conglomerate, by nearly 30%. Hawkins acquired 1,636,268 shares for an average price of $92.03 per share. The transaction had a 1.58% impact on Hawkins’ portfolio.

The stake, now 7,100,069 shares, is 0.85% of United Technologies’ outstanding shares and 6.86% of Hawkins’ total assets. Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss is United Technologies’ leading shareholder among the gurus with a stake of 15,425,292 shares. The stake is 1.84% of United Technologies’ outstanding shares and 2.36% of the guru’s total assets.

United Technologies has a P/E of 12.1, a forward P/E of 14.5, a P/B of 3 and a P/S of 1.5. GuruFocus gives United Technologies a Financial Strength rating of 7/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 7/10.

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United Technologies sold for $101.82 per share Monday.

Hawkins increased his stake in FedEx Corp. (FDX, Financial), a Memphis, Tennessee-based courier service, by almost 9%. Hawkins bought 549,572 shares for an average price of $138.89 per share. The deal had a 0.86% impact on Hawkins’ portfolio.

The stake, now 6,683,591 shares, is 2.49% of FedEx’s outstanding shares and 10.5% of Hawkins’ total assets. PRIMECAP Management (Trades, Portfolio) is FedEx’s leading shareholder among the gurus with a stake of 16,116,764 shares. The stake is 6% of FedEx’s outstanding shares and 2.72% of PRIMECAP’s total assets.

FedEx has a P/E of 45.2, a forward P/E of 12.8, a P/B of 3.5 and a P/S of 0.9. GuruFocus gives FedEx a Financial Strength rating of 7/10 and a Profitability and Growth rating of 6/10.

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FedEx sold for $158.59 per share Monday.

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