BLAIR WILLIAM & CO/IL recently filed their 13F report for the first quarter of 2022, which ended on 2022-03-31.
The 13F report details which stocks were in a guru’s equity portfolio at the end of the quarter, though investors should note that these filings are limited in scope, containing only a snapshot of long positions in U.S.-listed stocks and American depository receipts as of the quarter’s end. They are not required to include international holdings, short positions or other types of investments. Still, even this limited filing can provide valuable information.
William Blair & Company was originally founded as Blair, Bonner & Co. by William Blair and Francis Bonner in 1935. The firm focused on raising capital through its own issues for fast growing Midwestern companies in its beginning. When Bonner left the company in 1941, the firm would have Blair and five other managing partners and be renamed to its current name of William Blair & Company. Five years later, Edward Blair, son of William Blair, would take the leading position of the company. The company would experience some difficulties throughout the 1960s and 70s, but expand to international locations such as London and Liechtenstein by the 1980s. By the 1990s, the company would be growing at a fast pace, adding bond financing and bond trading services and expanding its client base to healthcare facilities, higher learning institutions, and transportation. William Blair & Company would continue to expand through the 1990s and into the 2000s, opening up offices in Zurich, San Francisco, Boston, and Shanghai as well as increasing the presence of its other branches. The company is currently employee-owned and offers its wide array of services to individuals, institutional, and issuing clients. William Blair Capital Partners was its investment division, but since 2004 it has spun out into Chicago Growth Partners, focusing on growth capital and buyouts from lower middle market growth companies. William Blair & Company’s current line of products and services include investment banking, equity research, institutional and private brokerage, asset management, portfolio management, mutual funds, and venture capital financing. The company offers 25 funds, including its range of Growth Funds, Global Leaders Fund, International Equity Fund, Emerging Markets Growth Fund, Bond Fund, Income Fund, Ready Reserves Fund, and Macro Allocation Fund, among others. William Blair & Company currently has 355 employees that manage a total of over 11 thousand accounts, totaling an estimated $69 billion in total assets under management.
As of the latest 13F report, the guru’s equity portfolio contained 1890 stocks valued at a total of $28,512,000,000. The top holdings were AAPL(4.07%), MSFT(4.06%), and AMZN(3.27%).
According to GuruFocus data, these were BLAIR WILLIAM & CO/IL’s top five trades of the quarter.
Airbnb Inc
During the quarter, BLAIR WILLIAM & CO/IL bought 448,833 shares of NAS:ABNB for a total holding of 1,090,360. The trade had a 0.27% impact on the equity portfolio. During the quarter, the stock traded for an average price of $159.59.
On 05/13/2022, Airbnb Inc traded for a price of $121.55 per share and a market cap of $78,202,727,000. The stock has returned -17.33% over the past year.
GuruFocus gives the company a financial strength rating of 7 out of 10 and a profitability rating of 2 out of 10.
In terms of valuation, Airbnb Inc has a price-earnings ratio of 99.20, a price-book ratio of 15.69, a EV-to-Ebitda ratio of 66.80 and a price-sales ratio of 11.20.
DocuSign Inc
BLAIR WILLIAM & CO/IL reduced their investment in NAS:DOCU by 508,617 shares. The trade had a 0.24% impact on the equity portfolio. During the quarter, the stock traded for an average price of $114.94.
On 05/13/2022, DocuSign Inc traded for a price of $79.16 per share and a market cap of $15,998,263,000. The stock has returned -62.81% over the past year.
GuruFocus gives the company a financial strength rating of 5 out of 10 and a profitability rating of 3 out of 10.
In terms of valuation, DocuSign Inc has a price-book ratio of 51.51, a EV-to-Ebitda ratio of 642.83 and a price-sales ratio of 6.66.
The price-to-GF Value ratio is 0.29, earning the stock a GF Value rank of 2.
IHS Markit Ltd
The guru sold out of their 584,295-share investment in NYSE:INFO. Previously, the stock had a 0.24% weight in the equity portfolio. Shares traded for an average price of $116.3 during the quarter.
On 05/13/2022, IHS Markit Ltd traded for a price of $108.61 per share and a market cap of $43,344,119,000. The stock has returned 21.07% over the past year.
There is insufficient data to calculate the stock’s financial strength and profitability ratings.
In terms of valuation, IHS Markit Ltd has a price-earnings ratio of 36.20, a price-book ratio of 4.57, a price-earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio of 1.59, a EV-to-Ebitda ratio of 22.35 and a price-sales ratio of 9.36.
CarMax Inc
BLAIR WILLIAM & CO/IL reduced their investment in NYSE:KMX by 571,019 shares. The trade had a 0.23% impact on the equity portfolio. During the quarter, the stock traded for an average price of $107.63.
On 05/13/2022, CarMax Inc traded for a price of $92.45 per share and a market cap of $14,883,966,000. The stock has returned -22.71% over the past year.
GuruFocus gives the company a financial strength rating of 4 out of 10 and a profitability rating of 9 out of 10.
In terms of valuation, CarMax Inc has a price-earnings ratio of 13.35, a price-book ratio of 2.88, a price-earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio of 0.97, a EV-to-Ebitda ratio of 16.86 and a price-sales ratio of 0.47.
The price-to-GF Value ratio is 0.57, earning the stock a GF Value rank of 4.
Deere & Co
During the quarter, BLAIR WILLIAM & CO/IL bought 157,079 shares of NYSE:DE for a total holding of 267,916. The trade had a 0.23% impact on the equity portfolio. During the quarter, the stock traded for an average price of $382.92.
On 05/13/2022, Deere & Co traded for a price of $367.09 per share and a market cap of $112,648,137,000. The stock has returned -1.77% over the past year.
GuruFocus gives the company a financial strength rating of 4 out of 10 and a profitability rating of 8 out of 10.
In terms of valuation, Deere & Co has a price-earnings ratio of 20.36, a price-book ratio of 6.32, a price-earnings-to-growth (PEG) ratio of 1.13, a EV-to-Ebitda ratio of 16.96 and a price-sales ratio of 2.61.
The price-to-GF Value ratio is 1.31, earning the stock a GF Value rank of 3.
Please note, the numbers and facts quoted are as of the writing of this article and may not factor in the latest trading data or company announcements.
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