In this article, we will discuss 5 stocks to invest in today according to Rob Cope’s Columbus Point. If you want to read our detailed analysis of Cope’s history, investment philosophy, and hedge fund performance, go directly to 10 Stocks to Invest In Today According to Rob Cope’s Columbus Point.
5. VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN)
Cope’s Stake Value: $16,045,000
Percentage of Rob Cope’s 13F Portfolio: 7.15%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 41
VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) and its subsidiaries provide domain name registry services and internet infrastructure for a variety of well-known domain names. It was incorporated in 1995, and it stands fifth on the list of 10 stocks to invest in today according to Rob Cope’s Columbus Point. VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) currently has a $23.83 billion market capitalization.
On July 22, VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) declared earnings for the second quarter of 2021. It posted earnings per share of $1.31, missing the estimates by $0.02. However, the revenue over the period was $329.4 million, up 4.8% YoY, beating the analysts’ expectations by $0.53 million.
The hedge fund chaired by Rob Cope owns 70,470 million shares in VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) worth over $16.05 million, representing 7.15% of their investment portfolio. Columbus Point has increased its stake in VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) stock by 12% in the second quarter of 2021. Legendary investor and billionaire Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway is the most significant stakeholder in VeriSign, Inc. (NASDAQ: VRSN) out of the 873 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey as of the second quarter of 2021. The Oracle of Omaha owns 12.82 million shares of the company, worth $2.92 billion.
4. Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE)
Cope’s Stake Value: $18,207,000
Percentage of Rob Cope’s 13F Portfolio: 8.11%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 89
Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE) is a global software corporation with a wide range of products. The company was founded in 1982 and is placed fourth on the list of 10 stocks to invest in today according to Rob Cope’s Columbus Point. Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE) shares have returned 35.91% to investors during the course of the past 12 months.
On July 28, Walmart Inc. (NYSE: WMT) and Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE) established a strategic agreement to combine Walmart’s Marketplace, online and in-store fulfillment, and pickup technologies with Adobe Commerce.
The hedge fund chaired by Rob Cope currently holds 31,089 shares of Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE) that amount to $18.21 million, after increasing its stakes by 33% in the second quarter of 2021. Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE) occupies 8.11% of Columbus Point’s total portfolio. Ken Fisher’s
Fisher Asset Management is a leading shareholder in Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE), with 6.21 million shares worth $3.63 million.
In its second-quarter 2021 investor letter, Richie Capital Group mentioned Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ: ADBE). Here is what the fund said:
“Adobe Systems (ADBE – up 24.8%) – In the last 15 years, Adobe has transformed itself into a software behemoth, more than tripling its revenue since 2010. The company is famous for its namesake PDF-reader and photo-editing software Photoshop. However, ADBE sells a full suite of software products through a recurring subscription model. The company transitioned from selling boxed software to recurring subscriptions in 2013 and revenues have grown consistently since. The company achieved $13B in revenue in 2020 with 88% Gross Margins.”
3. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO)
Cope’s Stake Value: $19,006,000
Percentage of Rob Cope’s 13F Portfolio: 8.46%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 87
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) offers laboratory products, analytical instruments, specialty diagnostics, and life sciences solutions globally. The company was incorporated in 1956 and stands third on the list of 10 stocks to invest in today according to Rob Cope’s Columbus Point. On the other hand, Rob Cope’s bet on Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) is also paying off. The company shares are up 32.22% over the last 12 months.
On August 4, Credit Suisse analyst Katie Tryhane initiated a coverage on Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) with an “Outperform” rating and $580 price target. On July 28, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) announced earnings for the second quarter of 2021. It posted earnings per share of $5.60, surpassing the estimates by $5.48. Revenue over the period was $9.27 billion, up 34% YoY, beating analyst estimates of $8.73 billion.
Rob Cope’s Columbus Point currently owns 37,675 shares of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) worth over $19 million. Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO) occupies 5.99% of Columbus Point’s overall equity. In addition, hedge funds are loading up on Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO), as Insider Monkey’s data shows that 87 hedge funds held stakes in the company in the second quarter of 2021, compared to 79 funds in the first quarter of 2021.
DEVON Equity Management, in its second quarter 2021 investor letter, mentioned Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE: TMO). Here is what the fund said:
“The broad response to the COVID pandemic from the healthcare, pharmaceutical, and life science industries has been nothing short of incredible.
Whilst Vaccine makers understandably garner the highest profile, Thermo Fisher (6.2% of NAV) should be considered one of the outstanding performers, reflected in their ‘COVID related revenue’ hitting US$9.4bn in the 12 months since March 2020 (we appreciate measuring ‘contribution’ to the pandemic by ‘dollars’ generated is a little crude – but ultimately it does tell us something) .…” (Click here to see the full text)
2. Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV)
Cope’s Stake Value: $23,368,000
Percentage of Rob Cope’s 13F Portfolio: 10.41%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 72
Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV) along with its subsidiaries, provides financial technology and financial services. The company was incorporated in 1984 and is ranked second on the list of 10 stocks to invest in today according to Rob Cope’s Columbus Point. Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV) shares have offered investors returns of 20.65% in the past 12 months.
On August 18, Fiserv, Inc.’s (NASDAQ: FISV) Carat omnichannel commerce platform expanded its digital payout choices to include payments to PayPal Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: PYPL) and Venmo accounts. On August 17, JPMorgan analyst Tien-Tsin Huang raised the price target on Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV) to $145 from $142 and reiterated an “Overweight” rating on the shares.
Rob Cope’s Columbus Point owns a $23.37 million stake in Fiserv, Inc.’s (NASDAQ: FISV). There were 72 hedge funds in our database that held stakes in Fiserv, Inc.’s (NASDAQ: FISV) in the second quarter of 2021, compared to 75 funds in the first quarter. Harris Associates is the company’s most significant stakeholder, with 12.10 million shares worth $1.29 billion.
Madison Funds, in its first-quarter 2021 investor letter, mentioned Fiserv, Inc.’s (NASDAQ: FISV). Here is what the fund has to say about Fiserv in its letter:
“This quarter we researched several new stock ideas, but because of high prices, acted on only one. Thus, a new portfolio name is Fiserv, with corporate headquarters in Brookfield, WI, just down I-94 from us. Fiserv is a technology company serving financial institutions (“FIs”) and retail merchants. It has two main business lines. In the first, it’s a market leader in outsourced IT solutions for banks and credit unions, online and mobile banking technology, digital money movement solutions, and card issuing services. Fiserv’s second core business is merchant acquiring and processing, where it’s a leader in providing a variety of solutions to help all types of merchants accept digital payments. They entered this business through the acquisition of First Data in 2019.…” (Click here to see the full text)
1. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT)
Cope’s Stake Value: $28,824,000
Percentage of Rob Cope’s 13F Portfolio: 12.84%
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 238
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) is a multinational technology company based in Redmond, Washington, making computer software, consumer devices, computers, and related services. The company was founded in 1975 and is placed first on the list of 10 stocks to invest in today according to Rob Cope’s Columbus Point. Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) shares have offered investors more than 42% in returns over the past year.
On August 17, Rubrik announced a strategic partnership with Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) to expedite collective solutions and provide cyber resiliency for clients and a Microsoft equity investment in the company. In addition, on August 17, Avaya (NYSE: AVYA) announced integrating audio, video, chat, and SMS capabilities from Microsoft Azure into its OneCloud Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) to develop a global go-to-market and co-selling strategy.
Columbus Point holds 106,402 shares in Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) worth over $28.82 million, representing 12.84% of their portfolio. The hedge fund has increased stakes in the tech firm by 12% in the second quarter. Hedge fund sentiment increased for Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) in the second quarter. Insider Monkey’s data shows that 238 elite hedge funds held stakes in the company in the second quarter, down from 251 funds a quarter earlier.
In its second-quarter 2021 investor letter, Alger mentioned Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT). Here is what the fund said:
“Microsoft Corp. was among the top contributors to performance. Microsoft is a Positive Dynamic Change beneficiary of corporate America’s transformative digitization. Microsoft’s enterprise cloud product, Azure, is rapidly growing and accruing market share. Recently, Microsoft reported that Azure grew 50% during the past quarter.…” (Click here to see the full text).
You can also take a peek at the 10 Penny Stocks Redditors are Buying in August and 10 Best Small-Cap Stocks to Buy According to Hedge Funds.
