S&P Global Market Intelligence, a leading provider of multi-asset class research data and insights, today released its review of  Q4 2015 13F filings by pure play hedge funds.  The quarterly S&P Global Market Intelligence Hedge Fund Tracker is an aggregate analysis of hedge fund equity ownership that highlights hedge fund investments in specific stocks and sectors.   As a complement to the quarterly report, S&P Global Market Intelligence also produced a Trends & Ideas research note, which lists ETFs that may offer investors exposure to hedge fund buying and selling trends.

The Q4 Hedge Fund Tracker analysis finds that the top 10 hedge funds were hit hard by U.S. stock market performance in Q4.  In total, the top funds managed approximately $159 billion in Q4, down $44 billion from Q3 2015.  The funds also decreased the total number of stock positions held from 441 to 427, the fewest stock positions held throughout 2015.  Financial stocks led the sell-off, with Lloyds Banking Group ranking as one of the most sold-off individual stocks of the quarter.  The highest volume of buying occurred in the energy sector, with Pioneer Natural Resources ranking as the top energy buy among hedge funds.

"Our Quarterly Hedge Fund Tracker provides a valuable window into the seismic trends that are currently moving the markets," said Pavle Sabic, Head of Market Development, S&P Global Market Intelligence. "By consistently tracking hedge fund buying and selling activity in this manner, we seek to shed insight on market moves that may impact investors of every type."

Based on these trends among hedge fund managers, S&P Global Market Intelligence also produced a Trends & Ideas research note, which names specific ETFs that are weighted toward the stocks named in the 2015 Q4 Hedge Fund Tracker.  The note also spotlights significant ETF inflows into the energy sector, with the three largest energy ETFs gathering $1.4 billion in new assets during the fourth quarter.

"Looking at ETF inflows and outflows through the lens of the largest hedge fund investors in the world, provides tremendous supporting evidence for current market sentiment," said Todd Rosenbluth, S&P Global Market Intelligence Director of ETF Research.  "With both hedge fund and ETF investors signaling a pattern of buying in the energy sector, it will be important for all investors to watch that sector closely in the coming days and weeks."

Following is a summary of findings in the Q4 2015 Hedge Fund Tracker and the Trends & Ideas ETF research note:

• Hedge Funds Buy Energy: The worst performing sector of 2015 in the S&P 500 was also the most-bought sector by pure play hedge funds in Q4.  The 10 largest funds bought $1.5 billion in energy sector stocks during the quarter, with Pioneer Natural Resources and Williams Company ranking as the most-bought single stocks in the sector.

• Hedge Funds Sell Financials: The financials sector was the most-sold among hedge funds, with a total of $2.2 billion in net sells during Q4.  The most-sold stock in the sector was Lloyds Banking Group.

• Five Most-Bought Stocks: The top 5 buys among hedge funds were American International Group ($2.5 billion), The Priceline Group ($1.6 billion), Valeant Pharmaceuticals ($1.3 billion), Teva Pharmaceuticals ($1.3 billion), and Apple ($1.2 billion).  Priceline was also the most popular new position among the largest hedge funds with three funds taking significant positions in the company.

• Five Most-Sold Stocks: The top 5 sells among hedge funds were Allergan ($2.1 billion), Next Plc. ($1 billion), Walgreens Boots Alliance ($975 million), Lloyds Banking Group ($903 million), and Halliburton Company ($898 million).

S&P Global Market Intelligence analyzes the latest quarterly 13F filings* to determine the top ten largest hedge funds based on reported equity assets. Further analysis isolates the universe to pure-play hedge funds that focus on stock picks and hones that universe further to isolate the hedge funds that overweight their biggest investments by capping the number of stocks held at 100.  S&P Global Market Intelligence performs this research quarterly in order to understand what the most prominent hedge funds are buying, holding and selling.  The firm develops the analysis through an examination of both industry filings as well as Excel-based holding models, allowing clients to quickly spot global trends in asset category and understand what some of the largest investors buying, selling and holding.
S&P Global Market Intelligence also provides rankings on approximately 1,100 equity and fixed income ETFs based on performance, risk and cost factors, including holdings-level analysis and expenses.