Billionaire Jorge Paulo Lemann’s Top Five Energy Picks: From Pioneer To Enbridge

#2 Newfield Exploration Co. (NYSE:NFX)

Shares held by 3G Capital as of March 31: 1.5 million

Value of 3G Capital’s stake as of March 31: $49.87 million

Occupying the sixth spot in 3G Capital’s list was a newcomer, Newfield Exploration Co. (NYSE:NFX), which saw the fund acquire 1.5 million shares over the first quarter, as the stock experienced plenty of volatility. Another fund that seemed pretty bullish on the company’s prospects was John Labanowski’s Brenham Capital Management, which boosted its exposure by 900% over the first three months of the year, to 3 million shares. Interestingly, both funds are already reaping the benefits of their investments, as the stock has gained more than 18% since the quarter ended, helped by Wunderlich’s coverage initiation (with a Buy rating and $42 price target) in late April, and news about the acquisition of Oklahoma assets from Chesapeake Energy Corporation (NYSE:CHK) for $470 million.

#1 Pioneer Natural Resources (NYSE:PXD)

Shares held by 3G Capital as of March 31: 600,000

Value of 3G Capital’s stake as of March 31: $84.44 million

Finally, there’s Pioneer Natural Resources (NYSE:PXD), another newcomer in 3G Capital’s portfolio, which stood as the second-most valuable position at the end of the first quarter. While large, the $84.44 million stake did not make 3G Capital the largest shareholder among those we track. Firms with larger positions included Andreas Halvorsen’s Viking Global and Israel Englander’s Millennium Management, which last declared holding 2.55 million shares and 1.09 million shares of the company, respectively. Shares of Pioneer Natural Resources have been on the rise this year, having posted returns of almost 30%. In fact, over the second quarter alone, the gains surpassed 15.75%, largely driven by a first quarter earnings beat in late April, when the company reported a net loss of $0.64 per share, $0.11 slimmer than expected. On Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal named Pioneer among the firms that look best “after the oil bust,” while billionaire David Einhorn earlier recommended dumping the stock, calling it the “motherfracker.”

Disclosure: Javier Hasse holds no positions in any of the securities mentioned above.