P2 Capital Reduces Stake in UTi Worldwide Inc. (UTIW), While Eminence Capital and Point72 Load Up On These 2 Stocks

In new filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, P2 Capital Partners, led by Claus Moller, reported cutting its position in UTi Worldwide Inc. (NASDAQ:UTIW), while Ricky Sandler’s Eminence Capital disclosed raising its stake in Keurig Green Mountain Inc (NASDAQ:GMCR). In another separate filing, Steve Cohen’s Point72 Asset Management revealed a new position in European commercial real estate company Northstar Realty Europe Corp (NYSE:NRE). We’ll discuss all of these moves in greater detail below.

Let’s first discuss P2 Capital’s move in UTi Worldwide Inc. (NASDAQ:UTIW), a $740.8-million supply chain services and solutions company. According to the filing, the fund reduced its position in UTi Worldwide to 23.17 million shares from around 24.0 million shares held previously. The current stake is equal to 19.3% of the company’s common stock. Denmark-based transport and logistics services supplier DSV agreed to acquire UTi Worldwide for $1.35 billion or $7.10 in cash per ordinary share in October. The acquisition is expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2016, subject to approval by shareholders and regulatory approvals. At the end of the third quarter, a total of 16 hedge funds in our database were holding UTi Worldwide, up from 14 hedge funds at the end of June. However, the aggregate amount of their investments fell heavily, to $178.2 million, versus $363.1 million at the end of the second quarter. Among those funds was Clint Carlson’s Carlson Capital, which owned 9.50 million shares as of the end of September.

Most investors don’t understand hedge funds and indicators that are based on hedge funds’ activities. They ignore hedge funds because of their recent poor performance in the bull market. Our research indicates that hedge funds underperformed because they aren’t 100% long. Hedge fund fees are also very large compared to the returns generated and they reduce the net returns experienced by investors. We uncovered that hedge funds’ long positions actually outperformed the market. For instance the 15 most popular small-cap stocks among funds beat the S&P 500 Index by more than 53 percentage points since the end of August 2012. These stocks returned a cumulative of 102% vs. a 48.7% gain for the S&P 500 Index (see more details here). That’s why we believe investors should pay attention to what hedge funds are buying (rather than what their net returns are).

On the next page, we’ll be taking a closer look at Northstar Realty Europe Corp (NYSE:NRE) and Keurig Green Mountain Inc (NASDAQ:GMCR).