JD.Com Inc (ADR) (JD) Powers Billionaire Lei Zhang to Big First Quarter Returns

Mondelez International Inc (NASDAQ:MDLZ) is one of the few US-based companies Hillhouse has a long position in and it was its second largest position. His stake of 9.30 million shares was valued at $337.88 million, and accounted for 7.68% of his equity portfolio. Mondelez International is the former snacks division of Kraft Foods Group Inc (NASDAQ:KRFT), which was itself recently sold to 3G Capital, with backing from Warren Buffett. Both Mondelez and Kraft were charged yesterday with manipulating wheat prices in December, 2011, any monetary penalties of which will be borne by Mondelez according to a Kraft filing yesterday.

Mondelez International Inc (NASDAQ:MDLZ)’s largest shareholder among the funds we track, billionaire Nelson Peltz’ Trian Partners had pushed Mondelez to merge with the snacks business of, PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE:PEP), another company he is invested in, though the investor dropped his plans later. Peltz owns 46.30 million shares of Mondelez International Inc (NASDAQ:MDLZ) as of the end of 2014, while another billionaire, Mason Hawkins, holds 26.74 million shares through his fund, Southeastern Asset Management. Mondelez International Inc (NASDAQ:MDLZ)’s stock inched down slightly during the first quarter, by less than 1%.

A position in Ctrip.com International, Ltd. (ADR) (NASDAQ:CTRP) is the third-largest in Hillhouse’s equity portfolio as of the end of 2014, containing 3.76 million shares, valued at $170.86 million. That made him the second largest shareholder among those in our database, topped only by John Thaler’s JAT Capital Management, who owns 5.84 million shares. The investment in Ctrip.com International, Ltd. (ADR) (NASDAQ:CTRP) paid off both Zhang and Thaler, among others, on March 20, when Ctrip.com International, Ltd. (ADR) (NASDAQ:CTRP) ballooned by about 25% after a positive earnings report for the fourth quarter in which it posted revenue of $308 million, up by an annual 33%. The news was also good for Jason Karp of Tourbillon Capital Partners, who holds a long position in Ctrip.com of 2.25 million shares, and ‘Call’ options for 3.05 million shares. Karp pitched the stock at the Ira Sohn Conference last year, and called the company “…one of the best, highest probability growth names on the planet over the next decade.” Overall, Ctrip.com International, Ltd. (ADR) (NASDAQ:CTRP) gained more than 28% in the first quarter.

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