Hedge Funds Aren’t Crazy About MAKO Surgical Corp. (MAKO) Anymore: The Spectranetics Corporation (SPNC), Symmetry Medical Inc. (SMA)

MAKO Surgical Corp. (NASDAQ:MAKO) was in 13 hedge funds’ portfolio at the end of December. MAKO investors should pay attention to a decrease in hedge fund interest lately. There were 13 hedge funds in our database with MAKO positions at the end of the previous quarter.

MAKO Surgical Corp. (NASDAQ:MAKO)

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With all of this in mind, it’s important to take a look at the recent action encompassing MAKO Surgical Corp. (NASDAQ:MAKO).

How are hedge funds trading MAKO Surgical Corp. (NASDAQ:MAKO)?

In preparation for this year, a total of 13 of the hedge funds we track were bullish in this stock, a change of 0% from the third quarter. With the smart money’s positions undergoing their usual ebb and flow, there exists a select group of noteworthy hedge fund managers who were boosting their holdings considerably.

When looking at the hedgies we track, James E. Flynn’s Deerfield Management had the largest position in MAKO Surgical Corp. (NASDAQ:MAKO), worth close to $21 million, comprising 1.1% of its total 13F portfolio. Sitting at the No. 2 spot is Samuel Isaly of OrbiMed Advisors, with a $15 million position; 1.1% of its 13F portfolio is allocated to the stock. Some other peers that are bullish include Jacob Gottlieb’s Visium Asset Management, Glenn Russell Dubin’s Highbridge Capital Management and Kevin Kotler’s Broadfin Capital.

Because MAKO Surgical Corp. (NASDAQ:MAKO) has witnessed bearish sentiment from the smart money, logic holds that there lies a certain “tier” of money managers that slashed their positions entirely in Q4. It’s worth mentioning that Glenn J. Krevlin’s Glenhill Advisors cut the biggest investment of the 450+ funds we monitor, comprising an estimated $9 million in stock.. Donald Chiboucis’s fund, Columbus Circle Investors, also dropped its stock, about $7 million worth. These moves are important to note, as total hedge fund interest stayed the same (this is a bearish signal in our experience).

What have insiders been doing with MAKO Surgical Corp. (NASDAQ:MAKO)?

Insider trading activity, especially when it’s bullish, is best served when the company in focus has seen transactions within the past six months. Over the last 180-day time frame, MAKO Surgical Corp. (NASDAQ:MAKO) has experienced 2 unique insiders purchasing, and zero insider sales (see the details of insider trades here).

Let’s also take a look at hedge fund and insider activity in other stocks similar to MAKO Surgical Corp. (NASDAQ:MAKO). These stocks are The Spectranetics Corporation (NASDAQ:SPNC), Symmetry Medical Inc. (NYSE:SMA), Invacare Corporation (NYSE:IVC), Cardiovascular Systems Inc (NASDAQ:CSII), and Given Imaging Ltd. (NASDAQ:GIVN). This group of stocks belong to the medical appliances & equipment industry and their market caps are similar to MAKO’s market cap.

Company Name # of Hedge Funds # of Insiders Buying # of Insiders Selling
The Spectranetics Corporation (NASDAQ:SPNC) 12 1 2
Symmetry Medical Inc. (NYSE:SMA) 9 0 2
Invacare Corporation (NYSE:IVC) 14 0 0
Cardiovascular Systems Inc (NASDAQ:CSII) 6 1 4
Given Imaging Ltd. (NASDAQ:GIVN) 9 0 0

With the results demonstrated by our research, retail investors must always monitor hedge fund and insider trading sentiment, and MAKO Surgical Corp. (NASDAQ:MAKO) shareholders fit into this picture quite nicely.

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