Many factors influence the market, but hedge funds are essential for this game. They invest in assets on behalf of their customers, often high-net-worth individuals. A research report by Preqin showed that the global hedge fund industry held US$3.67 trillion worth of assets in 2016. The following are the top ten stocks among the most popular hedge fund stocks based on assets under management (AUM).
Top 10 Hedge Fund Stocks
1. Apple Inc. (AAPL)
This multinational technology company headquartered in California, United States, designs, develops, and sells consumer electronics products, computer software, and online services.
2. Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL)
It is a multinational conglomerate created in a corporate restructuring of Google on October 2, 2015.
3. Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT)
It is a United States-based aerospace manufacturer formed from Lockheed Corporation and Martin Marietta Corporation on March 13, 1995.
4. Facebook Inc. (FB)
It is an American social media and social networking company based in Menlo Park, California, founded by Mark Zuckerberg on February 4, 2004.
5. Priceline Group Inc. (PCLN)
It was an American multinational travel service company and the largest online travel agency globally by revenue in 2016. It owns Travelocity, Booking Holdings Inc., Expedia Group Inc., Hotels.com, and HomeAway.
6. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK-A)
It is an American multinational conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, and controlled by Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
7. American Express Company (AXP)
It is an American financial services corporation headquartered in New York, United States. The company was created in 1850 and is one of the world’s largest credit card issuers with more than 265 million members worldwide as of December 31, 2016
8. Tesla Motors Inc. (TSLA)
It is an American automotive and electronics company founded by Elon Musk and Marc Tarpenning on July 1, 2003.
9. Microsoft Corp. (MSFT)
It is an American technology company headquartered in Redmond, Washington, that develops, manufactures, and markets computer software and personal computers and operates as a subsidiary of Microsoft Inc. Paul Allen founded it in 1975.
10. Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN)
It is an American electronic cloud computing and commerce company based in Seattle, Washington, that Jeff Bezos founded on July 5, 1994.
In summary, the most popular hedge fund stocks are all major technology companies that have been around for a while. As the industry becomes more and more digital, tech-related hedge funds should continue to thrive in the future.