Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) has been an attractive brand and an attractive stock for many years. At the end of the first quarter of 2015, Lone Pine Capital held a total of 5.68 million shares of the stock with a market value of $569.74 million. The Beaverton, Oregon-based designer and manufacturer of footwear, apparel, accessories, and equipment has had a healthy and improving bottom line as the brand grows globally. It is for such reasons, and its consistency that it impresses investors. Now, the company has inked an 8-year deal with the National Basketball Association to be the official on-field gear and apparel face of the league, beginning from the 2017-18 season. Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) has also introduced NIKEiD, a service that allows customers to design their apparel online and add their preferred features, resulting in increased online revenue. The company’s most recent quarterly results showed that it pulled in $0.89 in earnings per share, beating Thomson Reuters’ consensus estimate of $0.84. Analysts expect it to post $3.55 in earnings per share for the current financial year. We recently compared Nike’s stock to one of its rivals, Under Armour Inc (NYSE:UA) and concluded that it was the better of the two stocks at this time, and worthy of a small buy. At the end of the quarter, a total of six billionaire hedge funds had stakes in the stock, accounting for an aggregate of $849.39 million in investment. Ken Griffin’s Citadel Investment Group was among those billionaire funds.
Actavis PLC recently went merged with Allergen and is now officially Allergan PLC (NYSE:AGN). The Dublin, Ireland-based pharmaceutical company specializes in developing and manufacturing branded pharmaceutical products. The Botox-maker provides products for diverse uses, including eye care, gastroenterology, urology, women’s health, and more. After the merger that saw the company change its name, it is now set to purchase Kythera Biopharmaceuticals in a $2.1 billion cash deal expected to be concluded in the third quarter of 2015. Kythera Biopharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company that develops and sells drugs and related medical equipment. It is the maker of the recently FDA approved double-chin treatment, Kybella. Allergan PLC (NYSE:AGN) is focused on increasing Kythera Biopharmaceuticals’ sales in the U.S. beyond the $500 million target that the company’s management recently set. While analysts say it is a good move by Allergen to make the acquisition, Kythera Biopharmaceuticals has not made a profit since its initial public offering in 2012. Such analysts argue that the purchase is a long-term strategy and an effort to boost Allergan PLC’s global position in aesthetics. The company’s performance in the first quarter of 2015 beat analysts’ forecast, posting $4.30 in earnings per share against $3.84 predicted by analysts. On average, analysts expect the stock to post earnings per share of $17.85 for the current fiscal year. At the end of the first quarter, a total of 26 billionaires we track had stakes in the stock, far more than were invested in any other stock, with their total holdings amounting to $10.52 billion. Andreas Halvorsen‘s Viking Global, John Paulson’s Paulson & Co, and Daniel S. Och’s OZ Management are some of the billionaire hedge funds that were invested in the stock.
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