Latest news with #CoatueManagement
Globe and Mail
5 hours ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Billionaire Philippe Laffont Has 30% of Coatue's $22.7 Billion Portfolio Invested in 4 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stocks -- and Nvidia Isn't One of Them
Important data releases happen with frequency on Wall Street. A seemingly endless parade of earnings reports, economic data releases, and policy changes from the Donald Trump administration, can make it easy for something important to get overlooked by investors. Arguably the most-telling of all data releases occurred three weeks ago on May 15. This marked the deadline for institutional investors overseeing at least $100 million in assets to file Form 13F with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A 13F provides investors with a snapshot of which stocks Wall Street's smartest money managers bought and sold in the latest quarter (in this case, the first quarter). While Warren Buffett is the most-followed asset manager on Wall Street, he's far from the only billionaire investor with a phenomenal track record. Coatue Management's Philippe Laffont, who closed out March with $22.7 billion in assets under management, has a propensity for making money in the stock market. Whereas Buffett is a staunch value investor, Laffont leans heavily into growth stocks and companies riding the latest technological waves, such as the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution. Although Laffont ended March overseeing 70 stocks, just four of these positions (all AI stocks) account for roughly 30% of Coatue's invested assets. Interestingly enough, AI leader Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) isn't among these top AI assets, with Laffont persistently selling shares of Nvidia over the last two years. Though Nvidia was Coatue's largest holding from April 1, 2023 – Dec. 31, 2023, a combination of profit-taking and other possible nefarious factors has led to a notable reduction in this position. Meta Platforms: 9.5% of invested assets In four of the last five quarters, social media titan Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META) has been billionaire Philippe Laffont's top holding. Coatue's more than 3.75-million-share stake equated to almost $2.2 billion in market value at the end of March. While Meta is wagering heavily on an AI future, the lion's share of its revenue and profits are currently derived from advertising. In March, Meta's family of apps, which includes Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Threads, and Facebook Messenger, attracted an average of 3.43 billion daily active people. Since no other social platform comes particularly close to luring as many people on a daily basis, businesses are eager to advertise on Meta's social media sites. In turn, Meta often enjoys significant ad-pricing power. Mark Zuckerberg's company is already deploying generative AI solutions within its advertising platform. Giving businesses access to generative AI allows them to personalize their message(s) to specific users, with the hope of improving click-through rates. Meta Platforms also has the luxury of an enviable treasure chest. Its cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities collectively topped $70 billion at the end of March, and the company's operations generated over $24 billion in net cash through the first three months of the year. Meta has the luxury of aggressively investing in AI, as well as slow-stepping the rollout of new services, thanks to its pristine balance sheet. Amazon: 9% of invested assets The only quarter where Meta Platforms wasn't the No. 1 holding for Coatue Management since the start of 2024 (the fourth quarter of 2024) saw e-commerce kingpin Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) take hold of the top spot. Amazon has been a top-four holding for Laffont's fund for eight consecutive quarters. Coatue's billionaire chief is more than likely attracted to the rapid growth in Amazon's cloud infrastructure service platform, Amazon Web Services (AWS). According to estimates from tech analysis firm Canalys, AWS entered 2025 accounting for a 33% share of global cloud infrastructure service spending. Based on Amazon's first-quarter operating results, AWS is pacing $117 billion in annual run-rate revenue. Amazon hasn't been shy about incorporating generative AI solutions into AWS. It's also giving customers the tools to build and deploy large language models (LLMs). LLMs can be used to answer queries as virtual agents and summarize text, while generative AI can improve various marketing aspects for businesses. Amazon's other high-growth ancillary segments, which includes subscription services (e.g., Prime) and advertising services, are playing key roles in its growth, too. Winning exclusive sports streaming deals with the NFL and NBA should afford Prime plenty of subscription pricing power. Meanwhile, attracting billions of visitors on a monthly basis is great news for the company's advertising operations. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing: 5.8% of invested assets The third largest holding in billionaire Philippe Laffont's fund for a second consecutive quarter is world-leading chip fabrication company Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (NYSE: TSM), which is commonly referred to as "TSMC." Even though Coatue's 13F shows that roughly 2 million shares of TSMC were sold during the first quarter, it still accounts for close to 6% of invested assets. Taiwan Semi can be best thought of as a critical part of the AI-data center supply chain. Its chip-on-wafer-on-substrate (CoWoS) technology is necessary for the packaging of high-bandwidth memory needed in AI-accelerated data centers. TSMC is in the process of increasing its CoWoS capacity from around 35,000 units per month in 2024 to 135,000 wafers per month by 2026. This should go a long way to resolving the AI-graphics processing unit (GPU) scarcity that's allowed Nvidia to charge a veritable arm and leg for its Hopper and Blackwell GPUs. Laffont's sizable wager on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing might also have to do with it building advanced-chip production facilities in the U.S. President Trump's threat of imposing tariffs on imports, including the possibility of semiconductor tariffs, is more of a moot point with TSMC investing in America. Something else worth noting is that TSMC is more than just AI chips. While advanced computing does comprise a majority of Taiwan Semi's net sales, it remains a key player in chip production for smartphones, Internet of Things devices, and next-generation vehicles. This revenue diversification might provide some buffer to Taiwan Semiconductor stock if an AI bubble forms and bursts. Microsoft: 5.4% of invested assets The fourth AI stock that, collectively with Meta Platforms, Amazon, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, accounts for about 30% of Coatue Management's $22.7 billion in invested assets is Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT). Microsoft was Laffont's fifth-largest holding at the end of March, and it's been a top-five position in each of the last eight quarters. Similar to Meta and Amazon, Microsoft's artificial intelligence ties have to do with applying this game-changing technology to existing solutions. For instance, Azure is the world's No. 2 cloud infrastructure service platform by total spending, behind only AWS. Microsoft is aggressively deploying generative AI and LLM tools in Azure for its clients. In turn, it's seeing sales growth for Azure remain firmly in the double-digits (35% year-over-year growth on a constant currency basis for the March-ended quarter). Microsoft's legacy operations aren't slouches, either. Even though the growth heyday for Windows and Office is long gone, Microsoft's software still dominates on desktops and laptops. These sustainable, high-margin operating segments generate plenty of cash flow that the company can redirect toward cloud and AI initiatives, or perhaps Microsoft's bountiful capital-return program. Additionally, Microsoft is swimming in cash, which allows for an aggressive level of innovation and acquisitions that most companies can't match. It ended March with $79.6 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments, while generating $37 billion in net cash from operations in just three months. Should you invest $1,000 in Meta Platforms right now? Before you buy stock in Meta Platforms, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Meta Platforms wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $656,825!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $865,550!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is994% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to172%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 2, 2025 John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Sean Williams has positions in Amazon and Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Globe and Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
This AI Giant Is Among the Top 5 Holdings of Billionaires David Tepper, Philippe Laffont, and Stephen Mandel Jr. -- and It's Not Nvidia
Investors, including billionaires, have generated enormous returns by investing in Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) in recent years. The artificial intelligence (AI) chip giant climbed more than 800% from the start of 2023 through the end of last year as demand for its products and services soared. And with the AI market forecast to reach beyond $2 trillion a few years down the road, it's likely Nvidia will continue to benefit. But it's important to remember that Nvidia isn't the only attractive AI bet to be found. In fact, right now, some of the world's top investors are favoring another AI giant over Nvidia. This particular player is among the top five holdings of billionaires David Tepper of Appaloosa Management, Philippe Laffont of Coatue Management, and Stephen Mandel Jr. of Lone Pine Capital. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Learn More » This company, like Nvidia, already has brought in billions of dollars in revenue thanks to AI -- and could win as the AI boom continues. Let's find out more. These billionaires like technology stocks First, it's important to note that these three billionaires have significant positions in technology stocks, with other such players among their top 10 holdings. So they clearly believe in the AI revolution and are setting themselves up to potentially gain as AI becomes more and more a part of our daily lives and the operations at businesses of every size. For example, Tepper and Mandel each have three Magnificent Seven stocks among their 10 most heavily weighted holdings, and Laffont has four. So, which company has caught the eye of these technology-focused investors? None other than AI powerhouse Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN). As of the first quarter of the year, Amazon is the third biggest stock position in Tepper's $8.3 billion portfolio, the second-biggest in Laffont's $22 billion portfolio, and the third- largest in Mandel's $11 billion fund. Here are the details: Tepper holds 2,510,000 Amazon shares, and the stock represents 5.7% of the portfolio. Laffont holds 10,753,808 Amazon shares, and the stock represents 9.02% of his portfolio. Mandel holds 4,352,740 Amazon shares, and they represent 7.15% of his portfolio. This is according to the billionaires' 13Fs, filings that managers of $100 million or more must submit to the Securities and Exchange Commission on a quarterly basis. Is this AI player right for you? Now the question is: These billionaires clearly see Amazon as a fantastic AI investment, but is it right for you too? After all, though billionaires have demonstrated their investment expertise, some of their moves may not suit your investment strategy or comfort with risk. It's important to take these elements into consideration before diving in. You probably are most familiar with Amazon thanks to its e-commerce business. It's built an empire in the area, and one that extends around the globe. The operation helps the company generate billions of dollars in revenue year after year, and its extensive fulfillment network and popular subscription program Prime offer it a significant competitive advantage, or moat. But Amazon also is becoming a leader in AI, using the technology to streamline those e-commerce operations and even developing and selling AI products and services to customers through its Amazon Web Services (AWS) unit. In fact, due to Amazon's aggressive push into the AI space, AWS recently delivered a $117 billion annual revenue run rate. So Amazon already is generating significant growth from this hot technology. Well positioned for a win And since AWS is the world's leading cloud services provider, it's in the perfect spot to capture more and more business. As AWS customers develop AI projects, they have all that they need right at their fingertips on AWS -- from access to top chips like Nvidia's to a fully managed service that tailors popular large language models to a customer's needs. The AI buildout continues, and AWS is set to gain from this and from the next stages of AI, as customers apply AI to their businesses more and more. Meanwhile, Amazon offers a solid track record of earnings growth and has demonstrated its ability to manage turbulent times and go on to grow. For example, the company revamped its cost structure when higher inflation hurt earnings a few years ago and returned to growth within a year. All of this shows that Amazon is well positioned to benefit from the AI boom, but the stock also offers you security thanks to its well-established and profitable e-commerce and cloud businesses. And this means that, whether you're a cautious or aggressive investor, you may, like the billionaires, want to make Amazon one of your key AI bets. Should you invest $1,000 in Amazon right now? Before you buy stock in Amazon, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Amazon wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $651,049!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $828,224!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor 's total average return is979% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to171%for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of June 2, 2025 John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Adria Cimino has positions in Amazon. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Billionaires Philippe Laffont, Chase Coleman, Terry Smith, and Stephen Mandel All Share the Same No. 1 Holding -- and It's Not Nvidia
Quarterly-filed Form 13Fs offer a way for everyday investors to track which stocks Wall Street's leading money managers purchased and sold in the latest quarter. Billionaire fund managers Philippe Laffont, Chase Coleman, Terry Smith (a.k.a., "Britain's Warren Buffett"), and Stephen Mandel all have differing investment styles. The No. 1 holding for these esteemed billionaire asset managers offers a laundry list of competitive advantages. 10 stocks we like better than Meta Platforms › For many investors, earnings season is the pinnacle of each quarter. It's a six-week period that provides an under-the-hood look at how well a majority of the most-influential public businesses driving the stock market higher or lower have performed. But it can be argued that the quarterly filing of Form 13Fs with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is just as important. A 13F is a required filing no later than 45 calendar days following the end to a quarter for institutional investors overseeing at least $100 million in assets under management. May 15 marked the deadline for money managers to file their 13F with the SEC. This filing details which stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) Wall Street's brightest asset managers have been buying and selling. Even though 13F data can be stale for active hedge funds, they're nevertheless insightful in helping investors weed out which stocks, industries, sectors, and trends have the attention of the world's smartest fund managers. Based on first-quarter 13Fs, an interesting quirk emerged: One stock stood out as the largest holding for billionaires Philippe Laffont of Coatue Management, Chase Coleman of Tiger Global Management, Terry Smith of Fundsmith (aka, "Britain's Warren Buffett"), and Stephen Mandel of Lone Pine Capital. With thousands of publicly traded companies and ETFs to choose from, there's a statistically small probability that four prominent billionaire money managers are going to settle on the same stock as their respective fund's top holding. Things get even weirder when you realize that all four fund managers have differing investment styles: Philippe Laffont oversees $22.7 billion at Coatue Management and is prominently known for his focus on large-cap growth stocks and Wall Street's hottest trends, such as artificial intelligence (AI). Chase Coleman is managing roughly $26.6 billion at Tiger Global and also favors growth stocks, but with more of flair for small caps. Terry Smith is guiding the investment of $22 billion in capital at Fundsmith and is known as a diehard value investor, much like Warren Buffett. Stephen Mandel is managing close to $11.6 billion at Lone Pine and tends to put his fund's capital to work in a mix of growth stocks and companies exacting turnarounds. Most investors would probably be inclined to believe that AI colossus Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) is the company all four billionaires have settled on as their top holding. Nvidia touches on Laffont's love for hot Wall Street trends; it's a growth stock that Coleman and Mandel can rally around; and its shares dipped to a forward price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 19 during the stock market's first-quarter swoon, which is its cheapest forward P/E in years (i.e., Terry Smith would possibly be interested). Furthermore, Nvidia offers a seemingly sustainable moat that top-tier money managers love to put their capital behind. Its Hopper (H100) graphics processing unit (GPU) and Blackwell GPU architecture are the leading options deployed in AI-accelerated data centers. No direct AI-GPU developer has come particularly close to matching the compute abilities or innovation timeline of Nvidia. But Nvidia isn't the correct answer. However, the stock in question is most definitely "Magnificent." Few companies check all the right boxes for billionaires Philippe Laffont, Chase Coleman, Terry Smith, and Stephen Mandel -- but social media maven Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META), which is a member of the "Magnificent Seven" alongside Nvidia, fits the mold. Based on the latest round of 13F filings, Meta was the clear No. 1 holding by market value for all four billionaires and respectively accounted for: Coatue Management: 9.55% of invested assets Tiger Global Management: 16.18% of invested assets Fundsmith: 10.19% of invested assets Lone Pine Capital: 8.75% of invested assets Since its initial public offering (IPO) in May 2012, shares of Meta Platforms have increased by 1,570%, as of this writing. These gains have been made possible by four factors, all of which have probably played at least some role in making Meta the No. 1 holding for four highly successful billionaire asset managers. The first variable working in Meta's favor is its foundational social media platforms. Collectively, the company's family of apps, which includes Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Threads, and Facebook Messenger, helped lure an average of 3.43 billion daily active people during March 2025. No other social media company comes remotely close to this figure, which affords Meta a superior level of ad-pricing power. Secondly, but building on this first point, Meta's operating performance and stock tend to ebb-and-flow with the health of the U.S. economy. Almost 98% of the company's net sales can currently be traced to advertising. Since the average U.S. economic expansion lasts considerably longer than the typical recession, Meta's ad-driven core is well-positioned to thrive over long periods. The third variable likely luring all four billionaire investors is Meta's addressable market for artificial intelligence. It's already deploying generative AI solutions into its ad platforms to allow businesses to tailor unique message(s) to users of its apps. But Meta is also investing aggressively in the future, which more than likely includes the company acting as a leading on-ramp to the metaverse -- the 3D digital world where people can interact with each other and their surroundings. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has a knack for holding back on monetizing new innovations until the time is right. The fourth and final reason Philippe Laffont, Chase Coleman, Terry Smith, and Stephen Mandel likely piled into Meta stock is the company's cash-rich balance sheet. Meta ended March with north of $70 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities, and generated $24 billion in net cash from its operating activities through just the first three months of the year. It can invest in higher-growth initiatives and take risks that few other companies can match. With Meta Platforms expected to sustain a mid-teens sales growth rate, its forward P/E ratio of 22 remains quite attractive. Before you buy stock in Meta Platforms, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and Meta Platforms wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $653,389!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $830,492!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 982% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 171% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 19, 2025 Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Sean Williams has positions in Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Meta Platforms and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Billionaires Philippe Laffont, Chase Coleman, Terry Smith, and Stephen Mandel All Share the Same No. 1 Holding -- and It's Not Nvidia was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Billionaire Philippe Laffont Just Sold Shares of Nvidia and 2 Other AI Powerhouses and Bought Shares of This Nvidia-Backed Company
Laffont, as founder of Coatue Management, oversees a $22.6 billion portfolio loaded with technology companies and other innovators. His recent AI purchase just soared in the triple-digits. 10 stocks we like better than CoreWeave › The artificial intelligence (AI) boom has driven stock market gains over the past couple of years, but the momentum may be far from over. Not only do analysts predict an AI market of more than $2 trillion by the early 2030s, but current activity in the space supports that. Technology companies from Meta Platforms to Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) have announced billions of dollars in spending to support AI projects. Data center buildout continues. And there are more AI stages to come, such as the moment of AI agents, when companies will apply AI to handle complex real-world problems. All of this is right up the alley of billionaire Philippe Laffont, who as founder of Coatue Management, focuses on innovators and invests heavily in tech companies. In fact, the biggest positions in Coatue's $22.6 billion portfolio are Meta and Amazon, each with weightings of more than 9%. So, it may seem surprising that right now, with so much ahead for AI, Laffont just sold some shares of top AI chip designer Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) and two other AI giants. But, at the same time, Laffont picked up shares of an Nvidia-backed company that could become the next AI powerhouse. Let's take a look at his moves and consider the potential of this newish player. First, as mentioned, it's important to keep in mind that Laffont isn't just dabbling in AI, but is someone who specializes in the technology sector and heavily invests in today's leaders and tomorrow's potential leaders. Laffont holds a computer science degree from MIT and went on to hone his investing skills at Tiger Management, one of the world's first hedge funds. He then became known as one of the "Tiger Cubs," Tiger employees who later launched their own funds -- and he founded Coatue in 1999. It's clear that, considering Laffont's experience and investment priorities, he has his finger on the pulse of the AI market. So, he could offer investors inspiration as they look for AI stocks to buy. In the first quarter of this year, Laffont made the following moves: He sold nearly 15% of his Nvidia position and now holds 8,545,835 shares. He's owned the stock since the third quarter of 2016. He decreased his position in Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ: AMD) by almost 24% and now owns 3,240,171 shares. He's owned this stock since the first quarter of 2022. He reduced his position in Alphabet class A shares, those that offer voting rights, by almost 38% to 2,010,681 shares. He's held the stock since the fourth quarter of 2022. And he sold all of his shares of Alphabet class C shares, those that don't offer voting rights. And what Nvidia-backed AI stock did Laffont add to his portfolio? CoreWeave (NASDAQ: CRWV), a company that in late March completed its initial public offering (IPO) and has since seen its stock surge more than 160%, bringing the company's market value to more than $50 billion. Laffont made a decent-sized bet on this player, buying 14,402,999 shares. The IPO itself was considered a flop, as the stock stagnated during its first trading session, then fell before eventually gathering some positive momentum. President Donald Trump's import tariff plans weighed on stocks -- specifically growth players -- and that created a difficult environment for CoreWeave's first trading days. Since, though, optimism about trade deals that won't weigh heavily on the economy and the support of Nvidia have helped CoreWeave stock take off. Nvidia recently said it had a 7% stake in CoreWeave as of March 31. These two tech giants are closely linked because CoreWeave's business is tied to demand for Nvidia's graphics processing units (GPUs). This young company offers customers access to its fleet of 250,000 Nvidia GPUs -- in fact, users can even rent access to them by the hour. So, working with CoreWeave brings customers great flexibility along with the power of Nvidia's top AI chips. This helped CoreWeave report a 420% increase in revenue in the recent quarter to $981 million. It's important to keep in mind, though, that to build up its GPU platform, CoreWeave also built up a considerable level of debt. As of the end of the quarter, current debt totaled $3.8 billion, and non-current debt totaled $4.9 billion. Meanwhile, CoreWeave must continue spending heavily to keep growth going and serve demand -- the company forecasts capital spending of as much as $23 billion this year. And CoreWeave expects annual revenue to reach $4.9 billion to $5.1 billion. It's clear that for a big tech investor like Laffont, it makes sense to lock in some gains from AI giants that have been in the portfolio for a while -- and bet on a new player that's still in its early growth stages. But before you follow Laffont, it's key to consider your investment style. If you're uncomfortable with risk and prefer stability, you're better off sticking with well-established AI players -- such as Nvidia, AMD, or Alphabet. And Laffont, too, continues to believe in their stories as they remain in his portfolio. But, if you're an aggressive investor looking for the next big AI growth story -- and you don't mind some risk and volatility along the way -- you might consider picking up a few shares of CoreWeave. Significant upside could lie ahead as the AI boom continues. Before you buy stock in CoreWeave, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the for investors to buy now… and CoreWeave wasn't one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $640,662!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you'd have $814,127!* Now, it's worth noting Stock Advisor's total average return is 963% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 168% for the S&P 500. Don't miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join . See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 19, 2025 Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Adria Cimino has positions in Amazon. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Billionaire Philippe Laffont Just Sold Shares of Nvidia and 2 Other AI Powerhouses and Bought Shares of This Nvidia-Backed Company was originally published by The Motley Fool Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Globe and Mail
22-05-2025
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Billionaire Philippe Laffont Has Cumulatively Sold 83% of Coatue's Nvidia Stake and Is Piling Into Wall Street's Hottest Artificial Intelligence (AI) IPO
May has been a data-packed month for investors. Between earnings season, a steady flow of economic data releases from the government, and the Federal Open Market Committee's federal funds rate decision, there's been a lot to unpack. But arguably the most important data release of the quarter occurred one week ago, on May 15. This was the deadline for institutional investors with at least $100 million in assets under management (AUM) to file Form 13F with the Securities and Exchange Commission. A 13F provides investors with a way to track which stocks and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) Wall Street's most prominent money managers have been buying and selling. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue » Though Berkshire Hathaway 's Warren Buffett is the most followed of all asset managers, he's far from the only billionaire investor known to deliver outsized returns and move markets. For instance, billionaire fund manager Philippe Laffont of Coatue Management, who's overseeing $22.7 billion in AUM, has a rich track record of outperformance. Laffont is also known for his love of high-growth stocks -- especially those in the tech sector. Based on Coatue's first-quarter 13F, its billionaire chief continued to be a seller of the world's leading artificial intelligence (AI) stock, Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), but absolutely piled into Wall Street's hottest AI-initial public offering (IPO) of the year. Philippe Laffont has been a persistent seller of Nvidia stock for two years Taking into account that Nvidia completed a 10-for-1 forward split in June 2024, Coatue's position in Wall Street's AI darling peaked at 49,802,020 shares in the March-ended quarter of 2023. Over the last two years, Laffont has been paring down this position with regularity. During the first quarter of 2025, Laffont's fund dumped 1,460,653 shares of Nvidia stock, which represents a sequential quarterly decline of about 15%. But over the last eight quarters, Coatue's billionaire boss has overseen the sale of 41,256,185 cumulative shares of Nvidia, representing 83% of the fund's original stake. To be objective, Nvidia has done a lot of things right to get to where it is now. Its Hopper (H100) graphics processing unit (GPU) and successor Blackwell GPU architecture have run circles around the competition, in terms of compute ability. Nvidia's hardware maintains a near-monopoly-like share in enterprise AI data centers. Overwhelming demand for Nvidia's GPUs also boosted its pricing power. With the Hopper and Blackwell commanding a premium over all other GPUs, it's no surprise that Nvidia's gross margin surpassed 70%. But not everything is perfect for Nvidia -- and Laffont's trading activity suggests it. Despite Nvidia having superior hardware, competitive pressures are beginning to weigh on its margins. In addition to direct external competitors ramping up production of their AI-GPUs, many of Nvidia's top customers by net sales are internally developing chips they'll use in their own data centers. The cost and accessibility advantage of relying on internally produced AI solutions could realistically result in Nvidia losing out on valuable future data center real estate. The presence of new external and internal competition is also working to minimize the effect of AI-GPU scarcity. This has been Nvidia's primary competitive edge for two years, and it's the core reason its gross margin surged to as high as 78.4% one year ago. With its gross margin expected to decline, yet again, in the fiscal first quarter, it's clear that Nvidia's biggest advantage is withering. The other big-time concern for Nvidia shareholders is the likelihood of an AI bubble forming and bursting. Including the proliferation of the internet in the mid-1990s, there hasn't been a game-changing innovation in more than three decades that's avoided a bubble-bursting event early in its expansion. The fact that most businesses haven't optimized their AI solutions, and in many instances aren't generating a positive return on their AI investments, strongly signals that investors have (again) overestimated the early innings utility and adoption rate of a next-big-thing trend. With more than 90% of Nvidia's net sales coming from its data center segment in the fiscal fourth quarter of 2025 (ended Jan. 26, 2025), a bursting of the AI bubble would be disastrous for its stock. The new AI apple of billionaire Philippe Laffont's eye is a scorching-hot IPO Although Laffont was a seller of a lot of high-growth tech stocks during the March-ended quarter, there was one artificial intelligence company that caught his attention in a big way -- and it only debuted as a public company days before the end of the first quarter! Arguably no stock was purchased more aggressively in the opening frame of 2025 by Coatue's billionaire chief than Nvidia-backed AI-data center infrastructure company CoreWeave (NASDAQ: CRWV). In its two business days as a publicly traded company in the first quarter (the company's IPO was Friday, March 28), Laffont scooped up 14,402,999 shares, which vaulted it to Coatue's 16th-largest holding by market value. The allure of CoreWeave for Laffont almost certainly has to do with the insatiable enterprise demand for AI computing resources. CoreWeave has purchased 250,000 Hopper chips from Nvidia, which is no small investment. In return, the company can lease out its AI infrastructure and services to clients, with the amount it generates in sales all dependent on things like demand, the services rendered, and the GPUs needed to complete a task. Coatue's billionaire money manager is likely also impressed with CoreWeave's expected growth ramp. Keeping in mind that consensus growth estimates for relatively early stage businesses are often fluid, CoreWeave's sales are projected to catapult from a reported $1.92 billion in 2024 to an estimated $19.66 billion come 2028. The company also announced a strategic deal with OpenAI that tacks on $11.2 billion in its revenue backlog. The numbers on paper absolutely paint an exciting picture for CoreWeave. But the real world doesn't always pan out as things do on paper. To begin with, CoreWeave's net losses are accelerating at the same staggering rate as its sales. As an early stage business, the company had to rely on debt financing to fund its GPU purchases. Last year, CoreWeave had nearly $361 million in net interest expenses. Its annual run in 2025 for net interest expense, based on its recently reported first quarter, is almost $1.06 billion! Investors should expect steep losses as CoreWeave's revenue ramp-up continues. Another sizable concern for CoreWeave, which might actually trump its rapidly widening net loss, is Nvidia's accelerated innovation cycle. Nvidia plans to bring a new high-powered AI chip to market roughly once per year. This means that CoreWeave's predominantly Hopper GPU-powered data centers could quickly become obsolete -- or at the very least, it could substantially weaken the company's pricing power for its services. Lastly, CoreWeave would almost certainly be adversely affected by an AI bubble forming and bursting. Until artificial intelligence matures as a technology, the threat of businesses paring back their AI infrastructure spending remains a tangible concern. Don't miss this second chance at a potentially lucrative opportunity Ever feel like you missed the boat in buying the most successful stocks? Then you'll want to hear this. On rare occasions, our expert team of analysts issues a 'Double Down' stock recommendation for companies that they think are about to pop. If you're worried you've already missed your chance to invest, now is the best time to buy before it's too late. And the numbers speak for themselves: Nvidia: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2009, you'd have $351,127!* Apple: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2008, you'd have $40,106!* Netflix: if you invested $1,000 when we doubled down in 2004, you'd have $642,582!* Right now, we're issuing 'Double Down' alerts for three incredible companies, available when you join Stock Advisor, and there may not be another chance like this anytime soon. See the 3 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of May 19, 2025
