Why Monsanto Company (MON) Is in Spotlight Today?

Thunderbird Partners, managed by David Fear, created the largest position in Monsanto Company (NYSE:MON). Thunderbird Partners had $60.5 million invested in the company at the end of the quarter. Benjamin A. Smith’s Laurion Capital Management also initiated a $57 million position during the quarter. The following funds were also among the new MON investors: Curtis Macnguyen’s Ivory Capital, Craig C. Albert’s Sheffield Asset Management, and Dmitry Balyasny’s Balyasny Asset Management.

Let’s now review hedge fund activity in other stocks similar to Monsanto Company (NYSE:MON). These stocks are Syngenta AG (ADR) (NYSE:SYT), Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp (NASDAQ:CTSH), Petroleo Brasileiro Petrobras SA (ADR) (NYSE:PBR), and Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL). All of these stocks’ market caps match MON’s market cap.

As you can see these stocks had an average of 48 hedge funds with bullish positions and the average amount invested in these stocks was $2121 million. That figure was $2450 million in MON’s case. Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) is the most popular stock in this table. On the other hand Petroleo Brasileiro Petrobras SA (ADR) (NYSE:PBR) is the least popular one with only 23 bullish hedge fund positions. Monsanto Company (NYSE:MON) is not the most popular stock in this group, but hedge fund interest is still above average. This is a slightly positive signal, but we’d rather spend our time researching stocks that hedge funds are piling on. In this regard DAL might be a better candidate to consider a long position.

Disclosure: None