Columbus Circle Investors Trims Stake in Apple (AAPL), Other Top Stocks

#3 Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE)

Shares held (as of September 30): 2.58 million

Total Value (as of September 30): $317.72 million

Percent of Portfolio (as of September 30): 2.60%

In Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE), Columbus Circle slightly reduced its position to 2.58 million shares from 2.61 million shares. During an investor meeting held last month, Nike announced a revenue target of $50 billion by the end of fiscal year 2020, with the company planning to achieve $20 billion of that in North America by that time. Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) repurchased a total of 5.5 million shares for about $588 million during the first quarter, with the repurchasing being part of its four-year, $8.0 billion program announced in September 2012. Another investor that believes in Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) is Paul Ruddock and Steve Heinz’s Lansdowne Partners, which owns 8.34 million shares.

#2 Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD)

Shares held (as of September 30): 3.47 million

Total Value (as of September 30): $341.13 million

Percent of Portfolio (as of September 30): 2.79%

Columbus Circle trimmed its stake in Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD) to 3.47 million shares from 3.56 million shares during the third quarter. Shares of Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD), a $155.4-billion research-based biopharmaceutical company, are up by 14.4% year-to-date. On Thursday, Gilead Sciences announced that it received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for Genvoya, the world’s first TAF-based single-tablet HIV-1 treatment regimen. Genvoya is designed to treat patients aged 12 and above. Gilead Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ:GILD)’s net income increased to $4.6 billion, or $3.06 per share, for the third quarter, compared to $2.7 billion, or $1.67 per share, in the same quarter a year ago. Revenues also rose to $8.3 billion, compared to $6.0 billion last year. Among the investors that we track, billionaire Cliff Asness’ AQR Capital Management held 4.18 million Gilead Sciences shares at the end of the second quarter.

#1 Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)

Shares held (as of September 30): 4.37 million

Total Value (as of September 30): $482.22 million

Percent of Portfolio (as of September 30): 3.94%

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) remains the top holding of Columbus Circle, which trimmed its position in the company during the quarter, as it did with each of its top picks, from 4.42 million shares. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) was the favorite Dow stock among the billionaires in our database as of the end of the second quarter, though the number of billionaires holding Apple fell to 15 from 16 quarter-over-quarter, while the value of their investments decreased to $12.16 billion from $13.05 billion. Shares of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s stock have increased by 9.78% year-to-date. Apple is a favorite stock of Carl Icahn’s Icahn Capital LP, which held 52.76 million shares of the company as of the end of June.

Disclosure: None