10 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaire David Harding

Published April 12, 2022 at 5:49 pm EDT Updated August 19, 2026 at 7:47 am EDT

In this article, we discuss 10 best stocks to buy now according to billionaire David Harding.

David Harding founded Winton Capital Management in 1997, which is a London-based quantitative hedge fund that uses statistical and mathematical approaches to navigate global financial markets. Harding prefers empirical scientific research and quantitative figures to create sound investment strategies that beat the stock market.

Amid the COVID-19 crisis of 2020, David Harding’s Winton Capital Management was one of the biggest hedge fund casualties on Wall Street. The fund held assets under management worth roughly $33.7 billion at the close of 2015, which sharply declined to $7.3 billion by the end of 2020. Despite acknowledging the disappointing turn that his once thriving hedge fund took in the pandemic years, David Harding remains confident in his strategy and has a positive outlook for the longer term.

As of Q4 2021, Winton Capital Management’s portfolio was valued at $1.65 billion, compared to $1.78 billion in the prior quarter. Some of the top buys of the hedge fund were The Clorox Company (NYSE:CLX), The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG), and Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL), while the fund sold out of Herbalife Nutrition Ltd. (NYSE:HLF), Airbnb, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABNB), and Twitter, Inc. (NYSE:TWTR), among others.

Some of the most distinguished stocks in the fourth quarter portfolio of David Harding’s Winton Capital Management include Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX), and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), among others discussed in detail below.

10 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaire David Harding

David Harding of Winton Capital Management

Our Methodology

We used the Q4 portfolio of David Harding’s Winton Capital Management for this analysis, ranking the list according to the hedge fund’s stake value in each holding.

Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaire David Harding

10. DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc. (NYSE:DKS)

Winton Capital Management’s Stake Value: $12,213,000

Percentage of Winton Capital Management’s 13F Portfolio: 0.73%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 37

DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc. was incorporated in 1948 and is headquartered in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. The company operates as a sporting goods retailer across the United States. DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc. supplies fitness equipment, golf accessories, hunting and fishing gear, and athleisure apparel and footwear.

Securities filings for Q4 2021 reveal that David Harding’s hedge fund owns 106,205 shares of DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc., worth $12.2 million, accounting for 0.73% of the 13F portfolio. The billionaire increased his stake in the firm by 1064% in the December quarter.

On March 16, DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc. declared a $0.4875 per share quarterly dividend, an 11.4% increase from its prior dividend of $0.4375. The dividend was paid on March 25, to shareholders of record on March 18. The stock delivers a dividend yield of 1.80% as of April 12.

DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc. reported earnings for the first quarter of 2022 on March 8, posting an EPS of $3.64, exceeding analysts’ estimates by $0.10. Revenue over the period jumped 7.26% year-over-year to $3.35 billion, outperforming market consensus by $42.12 million.

Barclays analyst Adrienne Yih on April 1 maintained an Overweight rating on DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc. but lowered the firm’s price target on the shares to $134 from $147. The analyst downgraded the retail sector to Neutral, citing peak inflationary costs well ahead of uncertain demand. The analyst lowered price targets for the retail sector to reflect declining multiples due to increased operational risk.

According to Insider Monkey’s Q4 data, 37 hedge funds were bullish on DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc., compared to 36 funds in the prior quarter. The total stakes held in Q4 amounted to $1.2 billion. Arrowstreet Capital owned the leading position in DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc. at the end of December 2021, with 1.6 million shares worth $191 million.

In addition to Microsoft Corporation, Netflix, Inc., and Apple Inc., DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc. is one of the most notable stock picks of David Harding.

9. Otis Worldwide Corporation (NYSE:OTIS)

Winton Capital Management’s Stake Value: $13,162,000

Percentage of Winton Capital Management’s 13F Portfolio: 0.79%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 38

Otis Worldwide Corporation (NYSE:OTIS) is a Connecticut-based company that designs and installs elevators and escalators in the United States, China, and internationally. The company manufactures both freight and passenger elevators. David Harding boosted his stake in Otis Worldwide Corporation by 5% in the fourth quarter of 2021, holding 151,160 shares worth $13.1 million.

On February 15, Otis Worldwide Corporation declared a new share repurchase plan ranging between $300 million and $500 million. Net sales in Q4 of $3.57 billion increased 2.18% from the prior-year quarter, reflecting a 2.8% boost in organic sales. In 2022, Otis Worldwide Corporation expects organic sales to increase by 2.5% to 4.5%, adjusted earnings per share of $3.20 to $3.30, and free cash flow of approximately $1.6 billion.

Otis Worldwide Corporation announced on February 3 a $0.24 per share quarterly dividend, in line with previous. The dividend was paid on March 10, to shareholders of the company as of February 18. Otis Worldwide Corporation’s dividend yield on April 12 stood at 1.26%.

According to the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey, Vinit Bodas’ Deccan Value Advisors held the largest stake in Otis Worldwide Corporation at the end of the fourth quarter of 2021, with 4.40 million shares worth $383.50 million. Overall, 38 hedge funds were bullish on the stock at the end of December.

Here is what VGI Partners has to say about Otis Worldwide Corporation in its Q4 2021 investor letter:

“We also exited some core holdings during the year. We sold our OTIS position, which has been a strong performer but decided to exit based on valuation coupled with a deteriorating outlook for construction in China. China represents almost 20% of OTIS revenue but an even higher proportion of future growth; in recent months we have started to see some of these concerns play out with multiple signs pointing to a prolonged slowdown in China property construction.”

8. Sanderson Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAFM)

Winton Capital Management’s Stake Value: $13,791,000

Percentage of Winton Capital Management’s 13F Portfolio: 0.83%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 33

Sanderson Farms, Inc. (NASDAQ:SAFM) is a poultry processing company that distributes fresh and frozen chicken products to retailers, distributors, and fast food operators in the United States. Increasing its stake in Sanderson Farms, Inc. by 45% in Q4 2021, David Harding’s Winton Capital Management held 72,174 shares of the company, worth $13.7 million. The stock has consistently featured on Harding’s portfolio since Q3 2019.

Sanderson Farms, Inc. posted its Q4 results on February 24, reporting earnings per share of $8.64, beating market consensus estimates by $2.66 million. The $1.33 billion revenue climbed 48% year-over-year, outperforming analysts’ forecasts by $60.51 million.

Among the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey, 33 hedge funds reported owning stakes in Sanderson Farms, Inc. at the end of December 2021, up from 31 funds in the quarter earlier. Magnetar Capital held the largest stake in the company, with 792,575 shares worth $151.4 million.

7. Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE:RJF)

Winton Capital Management’s Stake Value: $14,639,000

Percentage of Winton Capital Management’s 13F Portfolio: 0.88%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 32

Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE:RJF) is a Florida-based financial services company that serves individuals, enterprises, and municipalities in the United States, Canada, and Europe. The company specializes in retail and commercial banking, insurance, investment banking, mortgage loans, private equity, wealth management, and financial analysis.

According to Winton Capital Management’s 13F filings for Q4 2021, the hedge fund owned 145,804 Raymond James Financial, Inc. shares, valued at $14.6 million, representing 0.88% of the total securities for the period. David Harding’s fund increased its position in Raymond James Financial, Inc. by 16% in the fourth quarter.

On March 28, Raymond James Financial, Inc. announced acquisition plans for SumRidge Partners, a New Jersey-based fixed income trading company that deals in high yield and investment grade corporate bonds, municipal bonds, and institutional securities. The terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.

Citi analyst William Katz raised the price target on Raymond James Financial, Inc. to $210 from $165 and kept a Buy rating on the shares on March 28. The analyst also added Raymond James Financial, Inc. to Citi’s U.S. Focus List and opened a “90-Day Positive Catalyst Watch” on the shares. His upgraded fiscal 2023 earnings estimate is now 48% above consensus and the new 2024 projection is 36% higher than Wall Street estimates.

Glenn Greenberg’s Brave Warrior Capital is the biggest stakeholder of Raymond James Financial, Inc., with 2.2 million shares worth more than $224 million. Overall, the Q4 database of Insider Monkey suggests that 32 hedge funds were bullish on the stock, with collective stakes amounting to $1.20 billion.

6. CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF)

Winton Capital Management’s Stake Value: $14,667,000

Percentage of Winton Capital Management’s 13F Portfolio: 0.88%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 58

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CF) is based in Deerfield, Illinois, operating as a manufacturer of hydrogen and nitrogen products for primarily the energy and fertilizer industries. David Harding, as of Q4 2021, owns 207,221 shares of CF Industries Holdings, Inc., worth $14.6 million, representing 0.88% of the total 13F holdings. Harding’s hedge fund raised its CF Industries Holdings, Inc. stake by 1158% during the fourth quarter.

In 2021, CF Industries Holdings, Inc.’s full-year revenue came in at $6.5 billion, up from $4.1 billion in 2020, representing a year-over-year growth of 58.54%. Net income in 2021 also increased to $917 million from $317 million in 2020. The company’s cash and cash equivalents in 2021 stood at $1.6 billion, compared to $683 million in the prior year.

Scotiabank analyst Ben Isaacson downgraded CF Industries Holdings, Inc. on March 28 to Sector Perform from Outperform but raised the price target on the shares to $118 from $81. The Russia/Ukraine conflict “remains the most influential factor to the outlook for fertilizer supply, trade-flow, and prices”, noted the analyst. From a risk-adjusted standpoint, Isaacson sees limited upside for fertilizer equities.

According to Insider Monkey’s Q4 data, 58 hedge funds placed long calls on CF Industries Holdings, Inc., up from 49 funds in the earlier quarter. The total stakes owned in the fourth quarter amounted to $1.5 billion. Matthew Barrett’s Glendon Capital Management is the biggest position holder in the company, with 5.1 million shares worth $363.3 million.

Just like Microsoft Corporation, Netflix, Inc., and Apple Inc., CF Industries Holdings, Inc. is a significant holding in David Harding’s Q4 portfolio.

5. Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKAM)

Winton Capital Management’s Stake Value: $14,776,000

Percentage of Winton Capital Management’s 13F Portfolio: 0.89%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 28

Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:AKAM) is a Massachusetts-based cloud solutions company that optimizes digital content and business applications. The company also protects users from cyberattacks and online threats while improving business performance.

Securities filings for the fourth quarter of 2021 reveal that David Harding’s Winton Capital Management held 126,249 shares of Akamai Technologies, Inc., worth $14.7 million, representing 0.89% of the total 13F securities.

On February 15, Akamai Technologies, Inc. posted earnings for the December quarter, reporting an EPS of $1.49, above consensus estimates by $0.07. Revenue for the period jumped roughly 7% year-over-year to $905.36 million, topping analysts’ predictions by $9.02 million. Akamai Technologies, Inc. also announced the acquisition of Linode, a trusted infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) platform provider. This $900 million purchase will result in income tax savings for Akamai Technologies, Inc. over the course of 15 years, amounting to approximately $120 million.

DA Davidson analyst Rudy Kessinger maintained a Buy recommendation on Akamai Technologies, Inc. but lowered the firm’s price target on the shares to $130 from $143. The stock fell despite the “solid” Q4 results since the company put forward a disappointing guidance and announced a concerning acquisition, according to the analyst. While Kessinger “still has some questions as to Akamai’s vision and strategy” after its $900 million Linode acquisition announcement, he still believes that the shares are “undervalued”.

Among the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey, 28 funds were bullish on Akamai Technologies, Inc. at the end of the fourth quarter of 2021, compared to 30 funds in the prior quarter. Ken Griffin’s Citadel Investment Group held a leading stake in the company, with 830,070 shares worth more than $97 million.

Here is what Nelson Capital Management has to say about Akamai Technologies, Inc. in its Q2 2021 investor letter:

“In the technology sector, we sold our position in Akamai (tkr: AKAM). Akamai has benefitted from higher internet traffic during the pandemic, but we expect the company to face difficult comparable earnings results in 2021 and growth expectations going forward remain low.”

4. CyrusOne Inc. (NASDAQ:CONE)

Winton Capital Management’s Stake Value: $14,997,000

Percentage of Winton Capital Management’s 13F Portfolio: 0.90%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 43

CyrusOne Inc. (NASDAQ:CONE) is a Texas-based real estate investment trust which operates carrier-neutral data centers in North America, Europe, and South America. Winton Capital Management held 167,158 shares of CyrusOne Inc. in Q4 2021, worth roughly $15 million, representing 0.90% of the total 13F investments.

On March 25, KKR & Co. Inc. (NYSE:KKR) and Global Infrastructure Partners concluded their acquisition of CyrusOne Inc. in an all-cash transaction worth approximately $15 billion. The companies also assumed the debt of CyrusOne Inc. in this transaction. CyrusOne Inc. has stopped trading on the Nasdaq after the deal was completed.

According to Insider Monkey’s Q4 data, 43 hedge funds held long positions in CyrusOne Inc., up from 27 funds in the earlier quarter. Matthew Halbower’s Pentwater Capital Management is the leading stakeholder of the company, with 3.52 million shares worth $315.8 million.

3. Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ANET)

Winton Capital Management’s Stake Value: $16,127,000

Percentage of Winton Capital Management’s 13F Portfolio: 0.97%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 38

Arista Networks, Inc. (NYSE:ANET) was incorporated in 2004 and is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, providing cloud networking solutions to internet service providers, financial services organizations, government agencies, and media and entertainment companies, among others. David Harding held a $16.1 million stake in Arista Networks, Inc. according to the fourth quarter filings, which accounts for 0.97% of the total 13F holdings.

On February 14, Arista Networks, Inc. reported its Q4 results, announcing earnings per share of $0.82, exceeding estimates by $0.09. Revenue for the period climbed 27.14% year-over-year to $824.46 million, outperforming analysts’ predictions by $33.75 million.

Wells Fargo analyst Aaron Rakers upgraded Arista Networks, Inc. on March 10 to Overweight from Equal Weight with a price target of $160, up from $142. The analyst believes Arista Networks, Inc. is positioned well for a strong cloud upgrade cycle. He also cited Arista Networks, Inc.’s significant inventory and business expansion compared to the Wall Street 2022 product COGS estimates as an indicator of potential revenue upside, in addition to ongoing growth/share gains and portfolio evolution.

According to Insider Monkey’s Q4 database, 38 hedge funds were bullish on Arista Networks, Inc., compared to 32 funds in the previous quarter. Brian Ashford-Russell and Tim Woolley’s Polar Capital held the biggest stake in the company, with 1.7 million shares worth $258.6 million.

Here is what Artisan Mid Cap Fund has to say about Arista Networks, Inc. in its Q4 2021 investor letter:

“Arista Networks is the market leader for cloud networking equipment used in data centers for public, private and hybrid cloud deployments. The company’s top line growth has recently been bolstered by 400G deployments—the next generation of tech powering data centers—and further enterprise network penetration as customers migrate away from Cisco (~80% market share vs. ~5% for Arista). While the profit cycle is nicely in motion, we pared our exposure as shares began to approach our PMV estimate.”

2. CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME)

Winton Capital Management’s Stake Value: $16,418,000

Percentage of Winton Capital Management’s 13F Portfolio: 0.99%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 55

CME Group Inc. (NASDAQ:CME) is a financial derivatives exchange and capital markets company that operates worldwide. David Harding’s Winton Capital Management reported owning 71,862 shares of CME Group Inc. in Q4 2021, worth $16.4 million, representing 0.99% of the total 13F portfolio. The hedge fund increased its position in the company by 28% in the December quarter.

On April 5, UBS analyst Alex Kramm lowered the price target on CME Group Inc. to $269 from $275 after its March metrics but kept a Buy rating on the shares. The analyst stated that trading activity in March slowed significantly, and he reduced his Q1 EPS view by $0.11 to $1.97. However, he remains constructive at current levels as the stock’s valuation is still relatively low.

Among the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey, 55 funds placed long bets on CME Group Inc. in Q4 2021, compared to 64 funds in the prior quarter. The total stakes owned in the fourth quarter equaled $2.72 billion. GuardCap Asset Management held the largest position in the company, with more than 4 million shares worth $927.6 million.

Here is what ClearBridge Investments Select Strategy has to say about CME Group Inc. in its Q4 2021 investor letter:

“CME Group, for example, maintains a dominant franchise in electronic commodities and options trading with high incremental margins. Its interest rate trading business had been depressed coming out of the recession, but with a tightening policy environment, it now provides upside optionality that augments robust free cash flow growth and capital return. Willscot Mobile Mini is another compounder that executed well through the pandemic but was not initially recognized for the synergies of its Mobile Mini acquisition. The deal has reduced costs and created greater operating leverage as the company rides the tailwinds of improving industrial production and construction.”

1. Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-A)

Winton Capital Management’s Stake Value: $95,540,000

Percentage of Winton Capital Management’s 13F Portfolio: 5.78%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 108

Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK-A) is Warren Buffett’s Omaha-based multinational conglomerate holding company. David Harding’s Winton Capital Management held a $95.5 million position in Berkshire Hathaway Inc., which represents 5.78% of the total 13F holdings. It is the largest stock in Harding’s Q4 portfolio.

In December 2021, Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s full-year revenue came in at $276 billion, compared to $245.5 billion in the last year. Net income more than doubled in 2021, increasing to roughly $90 billion from $42.5 billion in 2020. Berkshire Hathaway Inc.’s cash and short-term investments in 2021 stood at $146.7 billion, up from $138.2 billion in the prior year.

On March 21, Keefe Bruyette analyst Meyer Shields maintained a Market Perform rating on Berkshire Hathaway Inc. after the company announced plans to acquire Alleghany Corporation (NYSE:Y) for $848.02 per share in cash.

You can also take a look at 10 Value Stocks to Buy According to Joel Greenblatt and 10 Oil & Gas Stocks to Invest In According to Rajiv Jain’s GQG Partners.

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