Billion Dollar Bridger Management’s New Stock Picks: UnitedHealth Group Inc. (UNH), United Rentals, Inc. (URI), Priceline.com Inc (PCLN)

Mexico-based ADR Cemex SAB de CV (ADR) (NYSE:CX) operates in the building materials industry by manufacturing cement and cement products. The stock is up nearly 60% in the past six months, almost five times the market’s gain in the same time period. CX saw a bump in popularity amongst the 400+ funds we track going from Q3 2012 to Q4; 20 hedge funds held the stock versus 28, respectively. The company’s latest earnings announcement at the start of last month delivered a significant miss and negative quarterly revenue growth year over year. Bridger put $30mm to work in CX last quarter. Billionaire Noam Gottesman of GLG Partners maintains a debt investment in CX (check out his portfolio here).

Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ:SBUX) was the final big new purchase of Bridger’s that we’ll cover; the ubiquitous coffee slinger was dedicated almost $30mm from the fund according to its Q4. The company’s latest earnings release in January gave growth in net earnings versus the same quarter a year prior, and analysts particularly like the chain’s expansion efforts in China and Asia Pacific. However, economic climates in the US and Europe could possibly lead to decreased consumption if improvement worsens or growth stops/reverses. Billionaire Steven Cohen of SAC Capital Advisors reduced his call option position in the coffee maker last quarter (see his fund’s major positions here).

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