Markets

Insider Trading

Hedge Funds

Retirement

Opinion

1281292 - 11759070 - 1

Is Core & Main (CNM) a High-Quality Business?

Polen Capital, an investment management company, released its “Polen U.S. Small Company Growth Strategy” first-quarter 2024 investor letter. A copy of the letter can be downloaded here. In the first quarter, the fund delivered 1.42% gross and 1.11% net of fees compared to a 7.58% return for the Russell 2000 Growth Index and a 4.77% return for the S&P SmallCap 600 Growth Index. It was a historic quarter for the Russell 2000 Growth Index as more than half of its performance was driven by Super Micro Computer and MicroStrategy. In addition, you can check the top 5 holdings of the fund to know its best picks in 2024.

Polen U.S. Small Company Growth Strategy featured stocks like Core & Main, Inc. (NYSE:CNM) in the first quarter 2024 investor letter. Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, Core & Main, Inc. (NYSE:CNM) distributes water, wastewater, storm drainage, and fire protection products. On May 17, 2024, Core & Main, Inc. (NYSE:CNM) stock closed at $60.15 per share. One-month return of Core & Main, Inc. (NYSE:CNM) was 10.14%, and its shares gained 120.41% of their value over the last 52 weeks. Core & Main, Inc. (NYSE:CNM) has a market capitalization of $12.112 billion.

Polen U.S. Small Company Growth Strategy stated the following regarding Core & Main, Inc. (NYSE:CNM) in its first quarter 2024 investor letter:

“The top contributors to the Portfolio’s quarterly performance, both relative and absolute, were Wingstop, Core & Main, Inc. (NYSE:CNM), and AppFolio. Core & Main is an industrial distributor specializing in waterworks and fire protection, providing an extensive range of over 200,000 products in the water infrastructure market. The company’s fundamental business performance has been better than expected, and it continues to execute its disciplined M&A strategy very well. We view Core & Main as a high-quality business with numerous competitive advantages and reinvestment opportunities, supported by structural tailwinds given the need to repair and replace aging municipal water infrastructure.”

An aerial view of an industrial facility with a variety of water products being loaded into tanker trucks.

Core & Main, Inc. (NYSE:CNM) is not on our list of 30 Most Popular Stocks Among Hedge Funds. As per our database, 43 hedge fund portfolios held Core & Main, Inc. (NYSE:CNM) at the end of the fourth quarter which was 37 in the previous quarter. In addition, please check out our hedge fund investor letters Q1 2024 page for more investor letters from hedge funds and other leading investors.

In another article, we discussed Core & Main, Inc. (NYSE:CNM) and shared Vulcan Value Partners’ views on the company. Vulcan Value Partners sold Core & Main, Inc. (NYSE:CNM) in the quarter on share price appreciation. Polen U.S. Small Company Growth Strategy added Core & Main, Inc. (NYSE:CNM) to its portfolio in the previous quarter and viewed it as a compelling investment opportunity.

Suggested Articles:

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.

The $250 Trillion AI Hype is Real. A few years from now, you’ll probably wish you’d bought this stock.

Dr. Inan Dogan

Dr. Ian Dogan

Co-Founder and Research Director at Insider Monkey

When Jeff Bezos said that one breakthrough technology would shape Amazon’s destiny, even Wall Street’s biggest analysts were caught off guard.

Fast forward a year and Amazon’s new CEO Andy Jassy described generative AI as a “once-in-a-lifetime” technology that is already being used across Amazon to reinvent customer experiences.

At the 8th Future Investment Initiative conference, Elon Musk predicted that by 2040 there would be at least 10 billion humanoid robots, with each priced between $20,000 and $25,000.

Do the math. According to Musk, this technology could be worth $250 trillion by 2040.

Put another way, that’s roughly equal to:

  • 175 Teslas
  • 107 Amazons
  • 140 Metas
  • 84 Googles
  • 65 Microsofts
  • And 55 Nvidias

And here’s the wild part — this $250 trillion wave isn’t tied to one company, but to an entire ecosystem of AI innovators set to reshape the global economy.

It’s a leap so massive, it could reshape how businesses, governments, and consumers operate worldwide.

Even if that $250 trillion figure sounds ambitious, major firms like PwC and McKinsey still see AI unlocking multi-trillion-dollar potential.

How could anything be worth that much?

The answer lies in a breakthrough so powerful it’s redefining how humanity works, learns, and creates.

And this breakthrough has already set off a frenzy among hedge funds and Wall Street’s top investors.

What most investors don’t realize is that one under-owned company holds the key to this $250 trillion revolution.

In fact, Verge argues this company’s supercheap AI technology should concern rivals.

Before I reveal the details, let’s talk about how some of the richest people on the planet are positioning themselves.

  • Bill Gates sees artificial intelligence as the “biggest technological advance in my lifetime,” more transformative than the internet or personal computer, capable of improving healthcare, education, and addressing climate change.
  • Larry Ellison — through Oracle, is spending billions on Nvidia chips and partnering with Cohere to embed generative AI across Oracle’s cloud and apps.
  • Warren Buffett — not known for tech hype — says this breakthrough could have a ‘hugely beneficial social impact.

When billionaires from Silicon Valley to Wall Street line up behind the same idea — you know it’s worth paying attention to.

Even as we admire what Tesla, Nvidia, Alphabet, and Microsoft have built, we believe an even greater opportunity lies elsewhere…

But the real story isn’t Nvidia — it’s a much smaller company quietly improving the critical technology that makes this entire revolution possible.

And judging by what I’m hearing from both Silicon Valley insiders and Wall Street veterans…

This prediction might not be bold at all:

A few years from now, you’ll wish you’d owned this stock.

The best part? You can discover everything about this company and its groundbreaking technology right now.

I’ve compiled everything you need to know about this groundbreaking company in a detailed, members-only report.

Trust me — you’ll want to read this report before putting another dollar into any tech stock.

For a ridiculously low price of just $9.99 a month, you can unlock a year’s worth of in-depth investment research and exclusive insights – that’s less than a single fast food meal!

Here’s what to do next:

1. Subscribe to our Premium Readership Newsletter for just $9.99 a month. (33% Off – was $14.99).

2. Enjoy a year of ad-free browsing, exclusive access to our in-depth report on the revolutionary AI company, and the upcoming issues of our Premium Readership Newsletter over the next 12 months.

3. Sit back, relax, and know that you’re backed by our ironclad 30-day money-back guarantee.

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity! Subscribe now and take control of your AI investment future!

No worries about auto-renewals! Our 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee applies whether you’re joining us for the first time or renewing your subscription a month later!

 

Wall Street calls this $3 stock a “Melting Ice Cube.” They said the same thing about BTI before it returned 90%.

Dr. Inan Dogan

Dr. Ian Dogan

Co-Founder and Research Director at Insider Monkey

My name is Inan Dogan. I’m the co-founder and Research Director of Insider Monkey. I have an important message for you today.

Since March 2017, my stock picks have returned 16.5% annually. Today, I’ve found an opportunity even bigger than my British American Tobacco call.

Two years ago, Wall Street wrote off British American Tobacco (BTI) as a “melting ice cube.” The stock had crashed 40% from its peak, and consensus said the business was dying.

We looked under the cover and realized they were wrong.

We alerted our subscribers, and BTI returned 90% in just 16 months.

Now if you had invested just $10,000 in BTI in June 2024, you’d be sitting on $19,000 in October 2025.

Today, we have identified a nearly identical pattern in a digital-first giant trading at $3.

While the market panics over a surface-level revenue decline, our PhD-led research shows management has actually surgically cut $100 million in waste to focus on high-margin growth.

This pattern is a hallmark of our 16.5% annual return track record. The current opportunity offers a 400% upside potential—dwarfing even our 90% BTI return.

Get the ticker for our new “Underdog” pick and the full BTI case study for just 99 cents.

This exclusive offer is for NEW newsletter subscribers ONLY! Join our Premium Readership Newsletter for only $0.99 and become part of a savvy investor community.!

This offer vanishes in 7 days, so don’t miss your chance to lock in market beating returnsSign up NOW! The monthly newsletter comes with a 30-day, no-risk money-back guarantee. This offer is available to the first 1000 new investors who respond.

Regular price $9.99/mo. Cancel anytime.

Space is Limited! Only 1000 spots are available for this exclusive offer. Don’t let this chance slip away – subscribe to our Premium Readership Newsletter today and unlock the potential for a life-changing investment.

Here’s what to do next:

1. Head over to our website and subscribe to our Premium Readership Newsletter for just $0.99.

2. Enjoy a month of ad-free browsing, exclusive access to our in-depth report on the Trump tariff and nuclear energy company as well as the revolutionary AI-robotics company, and the upcoming issues of our Premium Readership Newsletter.

3. Sit back, relax, and know that you’re backed by our ironclad 30-day money-back guarantee.

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity! Subscribe now and take control of your AI investment future!

Regular price $9.99/mo. Cancel anytime.