What Smart Money Thinks About GlaxoSmithKline plc (ADR) (GSK)

As aggregate interest increased, key money managers have jumped into GlaxoSmithKline plc (ADR) (NYSE:GSK) headfirst. Marshall Wace LLP, managed by Paul Marshall and Ian Wace, assembled the biggest position in GlaxoSmithKline plc (ADR) (NYSE:GSK). Marshall Wace LLP had $33.8 million invested in the company at the end of the quarter. Thomas Bailard’s Bailard Inc also made a $10.7 million investment in the stock during the quarter. The other funds with brand new GSK positions are Ken Griffin’s Citadel Investment Group, Paul Cantor, Joseph Weiss, and Will Wurm’s Beech Hill Partners, and Mike Vranos’ Ellington.

Let’s go over hedge fund activity in other stocks – not necessarily in the same industry as GlaxoSmithKline plc (ADR) (NYSE:GSK) but similarly valued. We will take a look at CVS Caremark Corporation (NYSE:CVS), AbbVie Inc (NYSE:ABBV), Schlumberger Limited. (NYSE:SLB), and Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp (ADR) (NYSE:NTT). All of these stocks’ market caps are closest to GSK’s market cap.

As you can see these stocks had an average of 46 hedge funds that reported long positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $1.98 billion. That figure was $1.09 billion in GSK’s case. Schlumberger Limited. (NYSE:SLB) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Corp (ADR) (NYSE:NTT) is the least popular one with only 10 bullish hedge fund positions. GlaxoSmithKline plc (ADR) (NYSE:GSK) is not the least popular stock in this group but hedge fund interest is still below average. This is a slightly negative signal and we’d rather spend our time researching stocks that hedge funds are piling on. In this regard Schlumberger Limited. (NYSE:SLB) might be a better candidate to consider a long position.