In this article, we discuss the top 15 long-term stock picks of billionaire Lee Cooperman.
Leon Cooperman is a highly respected figure in the investment world, known for his acumen, philanthropy, and candid commentary on markets and economics. As the founder of Omega Advisors, Cooperman built a reputation as one of Wall Street’s most successful hedge fund managers. Leon Cooperman was born in New York in 1943 to working-class immigrant parents. His father was a plumber, and his mother was a homemaker. Cooperman earned his undergraduate degree from Hunter College in 1964 and later pursued an MBA at Columbia Business School. Cooperman began his professional journey at Goldman Sachs, where he worked for 25 years.
He joined the firm as an analyst and rose through the ranks to lead the Asset Management division. His tenure at Goldman Sachs was marked by significant achievements, including his role in expanding the firm’s institutional investment management services. In 1991, Cooperman left Goldman Sachs to establish Omega Advisors, a hedge fund specializing in value-oriented investing. He built the firm on principles of thorough research, disciplined risk management, and a long-term investment horizon. Under his leadership, Omega Advisors delivered strong returns, earning a reputation as one of the most successful hedge funds in the industry.
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At its height, Omega Advisors managed approximately $10 billion in assets, attracting institutional investors and high-net-worth individuals. In 2018, when Cooperman transitioned the firm into a family office, Omega Advisors had around $3.6 billion in AUM. Over its 27 years as a hedge fund, Omega Advisors achieved annualized returns of approximately 12%, outperforming many of its peers and major indices during key periods. During bullish market cycles, Cooperman’s ability to identify undervalued stocks enabled the fund to outperform benchmarks like the S&P 500, which has an average historical return of around 10% annually. For instance, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Cooperman’s investments in financials, industrials, and energy sectors delivered double-digit gains.
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For this article, we selected stocks by combing through the 13F portfolio of Omega Advisors at the end of the third quarter of 2024. Only the companies that have been in the 13F portfolio of the fund consistently for the past three years were selected. These stocks are also popular among other hedge funds. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
Billionaire Lee Cooperman’s Top 15 Long-Term Stock Picks
15. SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 18
Omega Advisors’ Stake: $35 million
SunOpta Inc. (NASDAQ:STKL) is a multinational company focused on natural food, ingredient sourcing, organic food, and specialty foods. There are several key elements that position this company as an exceptional choice for investors. Firstly, promising financial growth is depicted in the report for the third quarter of 2024. For instance, gross profit increased 16.4% to $23.6 million compared to $20.3 million in the prior year period and adjusted earnings from continuing operations was $2.5 million compared to $0.5 million in the prior year period. In addition, adjusted EBITDA from continuing operations increased 12.6% to $21.5 million, compared to $19.1 million in the prior year period. Secondly, SunOpta announced the completion of a $26 million expansion at its Modesto facility. This project holds investment potential as it would increase the production of oat milk annually by more than 60%, demonstrating SunOpta’s commitment to plant-based beverage production. Another great project worth investing in is the expansion of Dream Oatmilk Barista in January 2025 to an additional 6,700 stores across North America through a partnership with a large coffee chain.
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