Insights into the Strategic Moves of a Veteran Investor

Jeff Auxier (Trades, Portfolio), the seasoned founder and CEO of Auxier Asset Management and manager of the Auxier Focus Fund, recently disclosed his investment activities for the third quarter of 2024 through the latest 13F filing. Auxier's investment philosophy centers on identifying undervalued companies with strong fundamentals, competitive advantages, and effective management. His approach involves meticulous screening to ensure investments are low-risk and have the potential for above-average returns.

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Summary of New Buys

During the third quarter, Jeff Auxier (Trades, Portfolio) expanded his portfolio by adding seven new stocks. Noteworthy new positions include:

• Charles Schwab Corp (NYSE:SCHW) with 8,050 shares, making up 0.08% of the portfolio and valued at $521,720 million.
• 3M Co (NYSE:MMM) comprising 1,689 shares, which represents about 0.03% of the portfolio, with a total value of $230,890.
• Celsius Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:CELH) with 6,925 shares, accounting for 0.03% of the portfolio and valued at $217,170.

Key Position Increases

Auxier also made significant increases to several existing positions:

• British American Tobacco PLC (NYSE:BTI), where he added an additional 12,800 shares, bringing the total to 199,596 shares. This adjustment increased the share count by 6.85%, impacting the current portfolio by 0.07%, with a total value of $7,301,220.
• Forrester Research Inc (NASDAQ:FORR) saw an addition of 14,024 shares, bringing the total to 33,412. This represents a 72.33% increase in share count, with a total value of $601,750.

Summary of Sold Out Positions

In Q3 2024, Jeff Auxier (Trades, Portfolio) exited two positions:

• Deere & Co (NYSE:DE), where all 660 shares were sold, impacting the portfolio by -0.04%.
• SM Energy Co (NYSE:SM), with all 4,990 shares liquidated, causing a -0.03% impact on the portfolio.

Key Position Reductions

Notable reductions were made in several key holdings:

• Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) was reduced by 5,419 shares, leading to a -4.89% decrease in shares and a -0.38% impact on the portfolio. The stock traded at an average price of $427.47 during the quarter and has returned 2.59% over the past three months and 14.14% year-to-date.
• Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) saw a reduction of 1,495 shares, resulting in a -5.17% reduction in shares and a -0.05% impact on the portfolio. The stock traded at an average price of $223.32 during the quarter and has returned 3.05% over the past three months and 19.12% year-to-date.

Portfolio Overview

As of the third quarter of 2024, Jeff Auxier (Trades, Portfolio)'s portfolio included 174 stocks. The top holdings were 6.71% in Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT), 5.75% in UnitedHealth Group Inc (NYSE:UNH), 3.84% in Philip Morris International Inc (NYSE:PM), 3.12% in The Kroger Co (NYSE:KR), and 2.86% in Elevance Health Inc (NYSE:ELV). The holdings are predominantly concentrated across 10 of the 11 industries, including Healthcare, Consumer Defensive, Financial Services, Technology, and more.

This article, generated by GuruFocus, is designed to provide general insights and is not tailored financial advice. Our commentary is rooted in historical data and analyst projections, utilizing an impartial methodology, and is not intended to serve as specific investment guidance. It does not formulate a recommendation to purchase or divest any stock and does not consider individual investment objectives or financial circumstances. Our objective is to deliver long-term, fundamental data-driven analysis. Be aware that our analysis might not incorporate the most recent, price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative information. GuruFocus holds no position in the stocks mentioned herein.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.