ZIOPHARM Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ:ZIOP) was in 6 hedge funds’ portfolio at the end of December. ZIOP investors should pay attention to a decrease in activity from the world’s largest hedge funds in recent months. There were 9 hedge funds in our database with ZIOP holdings at the end of the previous quarter.
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Consequently, it’s important to take a look at the latest action encompassing ZIOPHARM Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ:ZIOP).
What does the smart money think about ZIOPHARM Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ:ZIOP)?
At the end of the fourth quarter, a total of 6 of the hedge funds we track were bullish in this stock, a change of -33% from the third quarter. With hedge funds’ positions undergoing their usual ebb and flow, there exists a select group of noteworthy hedge fund managers who were boosting their stakes meaningfully.
According to our comprehensive database, Jacob Gottlieb’s Visium Asset Management had the largest position in ZIOPHARM Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ:ZIOP), worth close to $3.4 million, comprising 0.1% of its total 13F portfolio. On Visium Asset Management’s heels is Julian Baker and Felix Baker of Baker Bros. Advisors, with a $1.1 million position; the fund has less than 0.1%% of its 13F portfolio invested in the stock. Other hedge funds that hold long positions include Jim Simons’s Renaissance Technologies, and Cliff Asness’s AQR Capital Management.
Since ZIOPHARM Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ:ZIOP) has witnessed a declination in interest from the entirety of the hedge funds we track, it’s easy to see that there lies a certain “tier” of fund managers who were dropping their positions entirely heading into 2013. Interestingly, Jay Venkatesen’s Ayer Capital Management dumped the largest position of all the hedgies we track, totaling an estimated $4.4 million in stock.. Richard Driehaus’s fund, Driehaus Capital, also said goodbye to its stock, about $1.9 million worth. These moves are interesting, as total hedge fund interest dropped by 3 funds heading into 2013.
How are insiders trading ZIOPHARM Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ:ZIOP)?
Insider trading activity, especially when it’s bullish, is most useful when the primary stock in question has experienced transactions within the past half-year. Over the last 180-day time period, ZIOPHARM Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ:ZIOP) has seen 1 unique insiders buying, and zero insider sales (see the details of insider trades here).
Let’s also examine hedge fund and insider activity in other stocks similar to ZIOPHARM Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ:ZIOP). These stocks are Targacept , Inc. (NASDAQ:TRGT), ArQule, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARQL), BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc. (NASDAQ:BDSI), Amicus Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:FOLD), and Pain Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PTIE). This group of stocks are in the biotechnology industry and their market caps are closest to ZIOP’s market cap.
| Company Name | # of Hedge Funds | # of Insiders Buying | # of Insiders Selling |
| Targacept , Inc. (NASDAQ:TRGT) | 10 | 3 | 0 |
| ArQule, Inc. (NASDAQ:ARQL) | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc. (NASDAQ:BDSI) | 9 | 2 | 2 |
| Amicus Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:FOLD) | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| Pain Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:PTIE) | 11 | 0 | 0 |
With the returns demonstrated by Insider Monkey’s research, retail investors should always monitor hedge fund and insider trading activity, and ZIOPHARM Oncology Inc. (NASDAQ:ZIOP) shareholders fit into this picture quite nicely.
