Billionaires Citrone, Simons Buy Stakes in Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN), Facebook Inc (FB), and Priceline Group Inc (PCLN)

A total of 2.65 million shares of Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) valued at $217.60 million were acquired by Jim Simons’ fund during the first quarter. Citrone’s bet on the company amounted to 686,000 shares valued at $56.40 million. Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB)’s stock is up by nearly 25% over the past year. Monthly active users for the company’s social media platform stand at 1.44 billion with mobile accounting for 73% of the company’s ad revenues according to its first quarter financial results. Facebook also reached a new milestone in terms of daily video views for the quarter, which reached four billion. Stephen Mandel’s Lone Pine Capital is the largest stockholder of Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB) within our database, with 8.11 million shares valued at $666.51 million.

Priceline Group Inc (NASDAQ:PCLN) is another new holding of both billionaire managers, with Renaissance Technologies now owning 135,200 shares valued at $157.40 million. Citrone meanwhile acquired some 55,800 shares of his own valued at $64.94 million. Although the $60.69 billion online travel company beat the top and bottom line estimates for its first quarter financial results, Priceline Group Inc (NASDAQ:PCLN)’s stock is only up by a modest 2.7% year-to-date. The main reason for this is a rather conservative guidance provided by its management for the next quarter. Lone Pine Capital is the largest stockholder of Priceline Group Inc (NASDAQ:PCLN) as well, with 1.33 million shares valued at $1.55 billion at the end of March.

On the healthcare front, both funds have added Horizon Pharma PLC (NASDAQ:HZNP) to their portfolios. Renaissance initiated a position in the company of nearly 359,400 shares valued at $9.33 million, while Discovery Capital’s new stake amounted to 237,000 shares valued at $6.16 million. Horizon Pharma PLC (NASDAQ:HZNP)’s stock is up by more than 150% so far this year, while Leerink Swank recently initiated coverage on it with an ‘Outperform’ rating and a price target of $37, which offers about 16% upside to the current trading levels. James E. Flynn’s Deerfield Management holds about 12.79 million shares of Horizon Pharma PLC (NASDAQ:HZNP) valued at $332.23 million.

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