Canyon Capital’s Latest Move in Clear Channel (CCO) & Its Other New Picks

Joshua Friedman (pictured) and Mitchell Julis’ Canyon Capital Advisors has revealed through a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it has upped its stake in Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CCO) to 4.53 million shares, from the 4.42 million shares it held at the end of 2014. In addition to the latest transaction, we’ll also reveal two of the fund’s top new picks from its most recent 13F filing.

Friedman and Julis co-founded the Los Angeles-based Canyon Capital in 1990, with the aim of creating an alternative asset management company that could deliver risk-adjusted returns that would outpace market indices while still providing reduced volatility. The fund currently manages over $23 billion worth of assets, and boasted en equity portfolio valued at $2.44 billion at the end of 2014, a slight decrease from the previous two quarters.

Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CCO) was the 16^th most valuable position in Canyon’s portfolio heading into 2015 valued at $46.85 million. Though the position was slashed by 33% during the fourth quarter, it actually moved up a couple of spots and amassed a higher percentage of Canyon’s portfolio after a very strong fourth quarter, as shares rose by more than 50%. That was a strong finish to what had otherwise been a disappointing year to that point for the advertising firm, which specializes in billboards and other forms of outdoor advertising, and boasts nearly one million displays in 30 countries worldwide. Shares were up by 5% in 2014.

Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CCO)’s revenues were up by 1% to $2.96 billionin 2014, while fourth quarter revenues inched down by 1% on the year to $802 million, though excluding currency fluctuations, fourth quarter revenues actually appreciated by 4%. Among the last year’s highlights for Clear Channel was becoming the exclusive sales agent for a new 25,000 square-foot billboard in Times Square in New York.

Canyon was the top shareholder of Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings among funds we track at the end of 2014, slightly ahead of the 4.17 million shares that were owned by Kenneth Mario Garschina’s Mason Capital Management. David Abrams’ Abrams Capital Management meanwhile, owned 3.35 million shares.