10 New Stocks for 2021: Qing Li’s Sciencast Management Portfolio

Published October 13, 2021 at 11:11 am EDT Updated September 7, 2026 at 1:40 pm EDT

In this article, we will discuss the top 10 new stocks for 2021 to buy now according to Qing Li’s Sciencast Management portfolio.

Qing Li, an alumnus of Columbia University, previously worked as a portfolio manager at SAC Capital Advisors LP from the year 2009 to 2014. Li started a private hedge fund company of his own, namely Sciencast Management Portfolio, in 2014. Qing Li’s Sciencast Management currently holds popular stocks in different sectors, including healthcare, IT, finance, consumer discretionary, consumer staples, transport, and telecommunication.

Sciencast’s investment philosophy is based on the achievement of higher risk-adjusted returns by employing financial modeling and advanced statistical testing to identify persistent patterns from complicated data. Sciencast invests the fund’s assets in the United States stock market, as well as foreign equities and other assets. Financial modeling entails the assessment of price and volume trends, researching event-driven phenomena, and investigating the microstructure of stock markets, among other things. Multiple signals are generated through distinct models, which span a wide spectrum of stock return forecasting features.

Some of Qing Li’s popular stock picks as of the second quarter of 2021 include Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE: CL), General Motors Company (NYSE: GM), and Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO).

Based on the latest 13F holdings for the second quarter of 2021, Sciencast Management holds 55,326 shares in Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE: CL) worth over $4.5 million. Colgate-Palmolive Company is an American multinational company headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. For the second quarter of 2021, Colgate-Palmolive Company posted earnings per share of $0.80, meeting the analysts’ estimate.

In General Motors Company (NYSE: GM), Qing Li has a stake worth over $3.7 million. The investment covers 0.78% of the fund’s portfolio. General Motors Company is an American automotive multinational organization headquartered in Michigan, United States. As of the second quarter of 2021, 86 hedge funds out of the 873 tracked by Insider Monkey maintained their stakes in General Motors Company. For Q2, 2021, General Motors Company beat the analysts’ EPS estimate of $1.83 by $0.14.

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) is another well-known stock held by Qing Li’s Sciencast Management. Cisco Systems, Inc. is an American multinational corporation that provides services and products in five major technological areas, including networking, security, collaboration, data center, and the internet of things. The hedge fund owns 73837 shares in Cisco Systems, Inc., worth $3.9 million. The investment covers 0.83% of the fund’s portfolio.

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Our Methodology

For this article, we picked 10 new stocks from the second quarter portfolio of Qing Li’s Sciencast Management. The fund initiated stakes in these companies in the second quarter.

Why should we pay attention to Sciencast’s stock picks? Insider Monkey’s research was able to identify in advance a select group of hedge fund holdings that outperformed the S&P 500 ETFs by more than 86 percentage points since March 2017. Between March 2017 and July 2021, our monthly newsletter’s stock picks returned 186.1%, vs. 100.1% for the SPY. Our stock picks outperformed the market by 86 percentage points (see the details here). That’s why we believe hedge fund sentiment is an extremely useful indicator that investors should pay attention to. You can subscribe to our free newsletter on our homepage to receive our stories in your inbox.

10 New Stocks for 2021: Qing Li’s Sciencast Management Portfolio

10. Microchip Technology Incorporated (NASDAQ:MCHP)

Li’s Stake Value: $4,333,000

Percentage of Qing Li’s 13F Portfolio: 0.9%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 50

Microchip Technology Inc., an American corporation, is involved in the development of connected and secure embedded control solutions for a variety of applications. Qing Li’s Sciencast management owns 30,098 shares in Microchip Technology Incorporated (NASDAQ: MCHP) worth over $4.33 million.

Out of the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, Australia-based Platinum Asset Management is a leading shareholder in Microchip Technology Incorporated, with around 1.86 million shares worth more than $279 million.

On October 3, investment advisory Wells Fargo downgraded Microchip Technology Incorporated from an Overweight rating to Equal Weight with the price target of $165, citing valuation and regulatory concerns.

For the first quarter of the fiscal year 2022, the company beat the analysts’ estimated EPS of $1.91 by $0.07. Microchip saw an increase in hedge fund sentiment recently. Based on the data of the 873 funds tracked by Insider Monkey, the number of hedge fund positions in Microchip Technology Incorporated increased from 42 in the first quarter of 2021 to 50 at the end of the second quarter.

9. Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE:BSX)

Li’s Stake Value: $4,351,000

Percentage of Qing Li’s 13F Portfolio: 0.91%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 51

Boston Scientific is an American corporation that manufactures and distributes medical devices to meet the needs of the global healthcare system. It was founded by Peter Nicholas and John Abele in 1979. According to the latest data, Qing Li’s Sciencast Management owned 99,870 shares in Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) at the end of the second quarter of 2021, worth over $4.35 million.

As of the second quarter of 2021, the company recorded year-on-year revenue growth of 10.23% and beat analysts’ estimated EPS of $0.37 by $0.03. Viking Global is the leading investor in Boston Scientific Corporation, with around 13 million shares worth over $569 million.

In May, investment advisory Needham downgraded Boston Scientific Corporation to Hold from Buy, stating that the estimates for the company’s performance were too high and downward revisions were due.

Based on the data of the 873 funds tracked by Insider Monkey, the number of hedge fund positions in Boston Scientific Corporation increased from 44 to 51 at the end of the second quarter of 2021. Recently, Boston Scientific also announced its plans to invest €30 million to facilitate the development and production of minimally invasive medical technologies that could assist in treating patients with chronic diseases like cancer and peripheral arterial diseases.

Artisan Partners, an investment management firm, mentioned Boston Scientific Corporation (NYSE: BSX) in its Q2 2021 investor letter. Here’s what the fund said:

“Among our top contributors (includes) Boston Scientific. Shares of Boston Scientific were volatile throughout most of 2020 as the pandemic drove significant drops in elective medical procedures, though our longer-term constructive view and belief elective medical procedures would bounce back post pandemic prompted us to add to our position. We have been rewarded with shares rebounding this year alongside a recovery in elective medical procedures. Longer-term, we believe the company’s investments in higher growth categories will drive revenue growth to the higher end of its peer group with rising margins.”

Besides Boston Scientific Corporation, Colgate-Palmolive Company, General Motors Company, and Cisco Systems, Inc. are some of the notable stocks in Qing Li’s Sciencast’s Management portfolio as of the second quarter of 2021.

8. Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL)

Li’s Stake Value: $4,442,000

Percentage of Qing Li’s 13F Portfolio: 0.93%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 55

Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL) is a Texas-based multinational company known for its cloud applications, software products, and database services. Qing Li’s Sciencast management holds 50,370 shares in Oracle Corporation that amount to over $4.4 million.

Out of the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, First Eagle Investment Management is a leading shareholder in Oracle Corporation, with around 26 million shares worth more than $2 billion.

On September 14, investment advisory Monness Crespi raised the price target on the company from $113 to $115 and maintained a Buy rating. The company recorded EPS of $1.03 for Q1 2022, beating the analysts’ estimate of $0.97.

At the end of the second quarter of 2021, 55 hedge funds in Insider Monkey’s database held stakes worth $2.889 billion in Oracle Corporation, up from 52 in the preceding quarter. Moreover, on September 27, a collaboration between Oracle and Telefonica was announced, which will result in an accelerated adoption of cloud by the telecommunications company. Oracle intends to provide a secure, massively scalable platform based on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) that will enable Telefonica to consolidate data across its operational processes and expedite the development and delivery of new services.

Ariel Investments shared its stance on Oracle in its Q2 2021 investor letter. Here’s what the investment management firm said:

“Oracle Corp. (ORCL) is our largest holding and was our third largest contributor in the quarter, increasing +11.41%. Oracle changed its revenue accounting several years ago moving to an annual licensing fee for most of its software products. This smoothed the company’s earnings over time but did have the effect of reducing near-term revenue growth and lowering its P/E multiple. In our opinion, Oracle has never gotten the respect it deserves as a $40 billion cloud computing and software company. It has consistently traded at multiples well below that of cloud/ software competitors such as Microsoft. We track sell-side ratings as a gauge of whether a stock is in or out of favor. Oracle currently has an average rating of 1.89, meaning there are far fewer buy recommendations than hold ratings. In our opinion, the analyst community hostility to Oracle’s founder, Larry Ellison, has been a consistent headwind to the stock’s valuation.”

Just like Oracle Corporation, Colgate-Palmolive Company, General Motors Company, and Cisco Systems, Inc. are some of the popular stocks in Qing Li’s Sciencast Management portfolio as of the second quarter of 2021.

7. Delta Airlines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL)

Li’s Stake Value: $4,509,000

Percentage of Qing Li’s 13F Portfolio: 0.94%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 49

Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE: DAL) is a US-based airline that facilitates domestic and international travel to approximately 300 destinations and 60 countries around the globe. Qing Li’s Sciencast management holds 105,011 shares in Delta Air Lines, Inc. that amount to over $4.50 million and 0.94% of the 13F portfolio. Crake Asset Management is the top investor in Delta Air Lines, Inc., with a stake worth $24.1 billion.

On September 23, investment advisory Argus downgraded Delta Air Lines, Inc. to Hold from Buy, stating that the company’s last reported results did not factor in the impact of Covid-19 on flight demand.

The company posted EPS of -$1.07 for the second quarter of 2021, beating the analysts’ estimate by $0.32.

Based on the data of the 873 funds tracked, the number of hedge fund positions in Delta Air Lines, Inc. decreased to 49 at the end of the second quarter of 2021 compared to 50 positions in the first quarter. Besides this, Delta Airlines, Inc. was recently applauded for moving towards more sustainable means of travel by buying sustainable aviation fuel from Aemetis in a decade-long deal worth $1 billion.

Apart from Delta Air Lines, Inc., Colgate-Palmolive Company, General Motors Company, and Cisco Systems, Inc. are some of the notable stocks in Qing Li’s portfolio as of the second quarter of 2021.

6. The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE:KO)

Li’s Stake Value: $4,543,000

Percentage of Qing Li’s 13F Portfolio: 0.95%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 62

Coca-Cola is an American beverage company that manufactures, retails, and markets nonalcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, as well as alcoholic drinks. The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) was founded by Asa Griggs Candler in 1892. According to the latest 13F filings, Qing Li’s Sciencast management owns 83,688 shares in The Coca-Cola Company worth over $4.54 million as of the second quarter of 2021.

On September 22, Deutsche Bank maintained a Hold rating on The Coca-Cola Company and raised the price target from $58 to $60 due to the strong Q2 results of the company. The company also beat the analysts’ EPS estimate of $0.56 for Q2 2021 by $0.12.

As of the second quarter of 2021, 62 hedge funds out of the 873 tracked by Insider Monkey held stakes worth $24.96 billion in The Coca-Cola Company, up from 61 funds in the preceding quarter. Moreover, Coca-Cola Company recently partnered with a UK-based e-sports company, GFinity, to host a tournament in October 2021 to promote e-sports.

In addition to The Coca-Cola Company, Colgate-Palmolive Company, General Motors Company, and Cisco Systems, Inc. are some of the notable stocks in Sciencast Management portfolio as of the second quarter of 2021.

5. Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:CL)

Li’s Stake Value: $4,556,000

Percentage of Qing Li’s 13F Portfolio: 0.95%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 58

Colgate-Palmolive is a US-based multinational consumer product company that specializes in manufacturing, retailing, and provision of household, veterinary, and healthcare products. Qing Li’s Sciencast management holds 55,326 shares in Colgate-Palmolive Company that amount to over $4.55 million.

Out of the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, New York-based investment firm First Eagle Management is a leading shareholder in Colgate-Palmolive Company with 11.8 million shares worth more than $963 million.

On September 20, Deutsche Bank upgraded Colgate-Palmolive Company to Buy from Hold, citing that the company has inculcated a ‘growth mindset’ over the past few years. The company also met the analysts’ EPS estimate of $0.80 for the second quarter of 2021.

Colgate-Palmolive Company saw an increase in hedge fund sentiment recently. Based on the data of the 873 funds tracked, the number of hedge fund positions in Colgate-Palmolive Company increased to 58 at the end of the second quarter of 2021 compared to 48 in the first quarter.

First Eagle Management mentioned Colgate Palmolive Co. in their Q1 2021 investor letter. Here’s what the investment management firm said:

“The leading detractors in the quarter (included) Colgate-Palmolive Company. After a strong 2020 fueled in part by lockdown-driven demand, consumer staples stocks generally cooled during the first quarter as investors shifted attention to the more economically sensitive areas of the market likely to benefit from re-openings and improved discretionary spending. The effects of this rotation could be seen in the share price underperformance of names like Colgate-Palmolive.”

4. ICON Public Limited Company (NASDAQ:ICLR)

Li’s Stake Value: $4,620,000

Percentage of Qing Li’s 13F Portfolio: 0.96%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 39

ICON is an Irish company that specializes in the provision of outsourced development and commercialized services to various industries including pharmaceutical, biotechnological, and medical. Qing Li’s Sciencast Management holds 21,942 shares in ICON Public Limited Company (NASDAQ: ICLR) worth $4.62 million and 0.96% of the 13F portfolio.

On September 27, investment advisory firm JPMorgan upgraded ICON Public Limited Company to Overweight from Neutral, predicting that ICON is likely to capitalize on its acquisition of PRA Health Sciences. For the second quarter of 2021, ICON Public Limited Company recorded EPS of $2.21, beating analysts’ EPS estimate by $0.01.

ICON Public Limited Company was mentioned in Baron Funds’ Q2 2021 investor letter. Here’s what the asset management firm said:

“We added to our position in ICON Plc, a leading contract research organization (“CRO”) which provides outsourced drug and device development and commercialization services to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, and government and public health organizations. We continue to believe the merger with PRA Health Sciences, Inc. will be a good, accretive transaction for ICON. The CRO sector is experiencing healthy growth driven by record levels of biotechnology funding, solid biopharmaceutical R&D spend, and continued outsourcing of clinical development. Long term, management targets high single-digit revenue growth and mid-teens earnings growth. We continue to see significant upside in the stock price over a multi-year period.”

At the end of the second quarter of 2021, 39 hedge funds out of the 873 tracked by Insider Monkey held stakes in ICON Public Limited Company, up from 29 in the preceding quarter. Moreover, Icon Plc. is one of the seven Irish companies in the UNICEF Vaccine Alliance; supporting their mission and urging the public to acknowledge the significance of UNICEF’s mission.

3. BlackRock, Inc. (NYSE:BLK)

Li’s Stake Value: $4,624,000

Percentage of Qing Li’s 13F Portfolio: 0.96%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 47

Blackrock, Inc. is a US-based investment management corporation that specializes in advisory, investment, and risk management services. Qing Li’s Sciencast management holds 5152 shares in Blackrock, Inc. (NYSE: BLK), worth over $4.62 million.

Out of the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, Florida-based firm Ivy Lane Capital is a leading shareholder in BlackRock, Inc. with 21,500 shares worth more than $18 billion. For the second quarter of 2021, the company beat the analysts’ EPS estimate of $9.47 by $0.56.

On August 31, the price target on BlackRock, Inc. was increased from $1001 to $1075 and a Buy rating was maintained by investment advisory firm Jefferies. This was accredited to the record ETF inflows in 2021.

Based on the data of the 873 funds tracked by Insider Monkey, the number of hedge fund positions in BlackRock, Inc. increased to 47 at the end of the second quarter of 2021 compared to 42 in the first quarter.

Asset management firm Baron Funds shared its stance on BlackRock, Inc. in their Q1 2021 investor letter. Here’s what Baron FinTech Fund said:

“During the quarter, we initiated a position in BlackRock Inc., the world’s largest investment manager with $9 trillion in assets under management. BlackRock offers an array of products across equities, fixed income, alternatives, and cash management to institutional and retail investors worldwide. About one-quarter of BlackRock’s assets under management is actively managed, and the rest is in passive index funds and iShares-branded ETFs. The company offers technology services including the investment and risk management platform, Aladdin, as well as other advisory services and solutions. Over the five years ending December 31, 2020, assets under management and earnings per share grew at compound annual growth rates of 13% and 12%, respectively.

We believe BlackRock is well positioned for continued growth given its diverse product offering, global distribution, brand recognition, and capable management team. With most of its assets in index funds and ETFs, BlackRock is a prime beneficiary of the ongoing shift to passive investing. The company also benefits from increasing demand for sustainable investment strategies and “barbell” strategies that use a combination of low-cost index funds, active and illiquid alternatives products. BlackRock fits squarely within our Tech-Enabled Financials theme given its longstanding commitment to innovation and proprietary technology platform, Aladdin, which serves as the investment and risk management system for both BlackRock and a growing number of institutional investors around the world. We expect BlackRock’s earnings per share will continue to grow at a doubledigit annual rate over a market cycle through a combination of mid-single-digit growth in assets under management from net inflows, market appreciation, low to mid-teens revenue growth in technology services, modest margin expansion, and share repurchases.”

2. L3Harris Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:LHX)

Li’s Stake Value: $4,642,000

Percentage of Qing Li’s 13F Portfolio: 0.97%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 42

L3Harris Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: LHX), is an American technology company that specializes in the provision of advanced defense and commercial technologies that assists with surveillance solutions, microwave weaponry, and electronic warfare. Qing Li’s Sciencast management owns 20,896 shares in L3Harris Technologies, Inc. worth over $4.64 million.

Out of the hedge funds being tracked by Insider Monkey, Ohio-based firm Diamond Hill Capital is a leading shareholder in L3Harris Technologies, Inc. with around 1.2 million shares, worth more than $267 million.

On September 23, investment management firm Goldman Sachs downgraded L3Harris Technologies to Sell from Neutral, stating that a reduction in the defense budget growth rate of the United States is likely to impact L3Harris’ sales.

As of the second quarter of 2021, 42 hedge funds out of the 873 tracked by Insider Monkey held stakes in L3Harris Technologies Inc., compared to 41 in the previous quarter.

L3Harris Technologies, Inc. was mentioned in Artisan Mid Cap Fund’s Q4 2020 investor letter. Here’s what the fund said:

“We also exited our position in L3Harris Technologies. L3Harris’ recent quarterly results showed some pandemic-related impact on the company’s business, though relative to other industrials stocks, the effect has been quite modest, and it is achieving ahead-of-schedule synergies from its recent merger. However, concerns about ballooning federal deficits and potential associated defense-budget cuts have been a headwind. We share these concerns, and with the company’s market cap above the mid-cap range, we concluded our campaign to fund newer profit cycle opportunities.”

1. Citigroup Inc. (NYSE:C)

Li’s Stake Value: $4,711,000

Percentage of Qing Li’s 13F Portfolio: 0.98%

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 87

Citigroup Inc. is a US-based multinational financial services corporation and an investment bank that specializes in the provision of various financial products and services including consumer banking, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, and wealth management. Based on the latest 13F filings, Qing Li’s Sciencast Management owns 69,086 shares in Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) as of the second quarter of 2021 worth over $4.71 million.

Out of the hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey, Crake Asset Management is a leading shareholder in Citigroup Inc. with a stake worth more than $66 billion. As of the second quarter of 2021, the company recorded an EPS of $2.84, beating the analysts’ estimate by $0.95.

In August, investment advisory Piper Sandler lowered the price target from $95 to $91 and maintained an Overweight rating on Citigroup Inc., underlining the strong second-quarter earnings results.

As of the second quarter of 2021, 87 hedge funds out of the 873 tracked by Insider Monkey held stakes in Citigroup Inc., compared to 90 in the previous quarter. The total value of these stakes is over $6 billion.

You can also take a peek at the 10 Penny Stocks With Long-Term Growth Catalysts and 5 Best Bank and Finance Stocks to Buy According to Mario Gabelli.

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