QUALCOMM, Inc. (QCOM), Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (WBA), eBay Inc (EBAY): Billionaire Activist Rosenstein’s Favorite Stocks

Rosenstein left his position in Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (NASDAQ:WBA) alone during the first quarter, one of the few that remained unchanged. The holding still stands at 13.75 million shares, with the value of the position increasing to $1.16 billion after Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (NASDAQ:WBA) returned 11.6% during the quarter. A favorite dividend aristocrat, Walgreens has not lowered its dividend payments since it first started making them in 1987, with its dividends sporting a current yield of 1.56%. The company’s stock made the jump to the NASDAQ from the NYSE at the end of 2014 following its completion of the full acquisition of Alliance Boots, in which it had previously held a 45% stake. The merged pharmacy giant is now setting its eyes on emerging markets as a key area of growth. Andreas Halvorsen’s Viking Global holds the largest investment in Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc (NASDAQ:WBA) among funds in our database, slightly larger than JANA’s.

Lastly we look at Rosenstein’s position in eBay Inc (NASDAQ:EBAY), which he increased by nearly 50% during the first quarter to an even 20.0 million shares. The holding is now valued at $1.15 billion and gives Rosenstein the largest position in the e-commerce company among the investors we track save for a certain Carl Icahn, who owns a $2.67 billion position. With eBay Inc (NASDAQ:EBAY) spinning off its PayPal payments division into a separate public company later this year, eBay is likely to transition into a long-term value stock for investors, given the slow growth of its primary business. There’s also the possibility that eBay could become a takeover target at its reduced market cap once it’s divested itself of PayPal. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE:BABA) has been mentioned as a possible suitor in that regards as it seeks to expand outside of China, though such a deal could be fraught with geopolitical complications.

Disclosure: None