Hedge Funds Are Betting On Epoch Holding Corp (EPHC): Triangle Capital Corporation (TCAP), Blackrock Kelso Capital Corp. (BKCC)

Epoch Holding Corp (NASDAQ:EPHC) has experienced an increase in hedge fund sentiment recently.

In today’s marketplace, there are tons of methods investors can use to track the equity markets. A duo of the most under-the-radar are hedge fund and insider trading movement. At Insider Monkey, our research analyses have shown that, historically, those who follow the top picks of the top fund managers can outperform the S&P 500 by a very impressive amount (see just how much).

Equally as integral, positive insider trading activity is a second way to parse down the stock market universe. Obviously, there are many stimuli for a bullish insider to get rid of shares of his or her company, but just one, very clear reason why they would buy. Plenty of academic studies have demonstrated the impressive potential of this tactic if “monkeys” know where to look (learn more here).

Now, it’s important to take a look at the key action encompassing Epoch Holding Corp (NASDAQ:EPHC).

What have hedge funds been doing with Epoch Holding Corp (NASDAQ:EPHC)?

At the end of the fourth quarter, a total of 9 of the hedge funds we track were long in this stock, a change of 13% from the previous quarter. With hedge funds’ positions undergoing their usual ebb and flow, there exists a select group of notable hedge fund managers who were upping their holdings meaningfully.

When looking at the hedgies we track, AQR Capital Management, managed by Cliff Asness, holds the most valuable position in Epoch Holding Corp (NASDAQ:EPHC). AQR Capital Management has a $40 million position in the stock, comprising 0.2% of its 13F portfolio. The second largest stake is held by GAMCO Investors, managed by Mario Gabelli, which held a $18 million position; the fund has 0.1% of its 13F portfolio invested in the stock. Some other hedge funds that are bullish include Jane Mendillo’s Harvard Management Co, Sander Gerber’s Hudson Bay Capital Management and Robert Emil Zoellner’s Alpine Associates.

As aggregate interest increased, specific money managers have jumped into Epoch Holding Corp (NASDAQ:EPHC) headfirst. Harvard Management Co, managed by Jane Mendillo, created the biggest position in Epoch Holding Corp (NASDAQ:EPHC). Harvard Management Co had 17 million invested in the company at the end of the quarter. Sander Gerber’s Hudson Bay Capital Management also made a $9 million investment in the stock during the quarter. The following funds were also among the new EPHC investors: Robert Emil Zoellner’s Alpine Associates and Clint Carlson’s Carlson Capital.

Insider trading activity in Epoch Holding Corp (NASDAQ:EPHC)

Insider purchases made by high-level executives is best served when the company in question has seen transactions within the past 180 days. Over the latest six-month time frame, Epoch Holding Corp (NASDAQ:EPHC) has experienced zero unique insiders buying, and 1 insider sales (see the details of insider trades here).

Let’s also review hedge fund and insider activity in other stocks similar to Epoch Holding Corp (NASDAQ:EPHC). These stocks are Triangle Capital Corporation (NYSE:TCAP), Blackrock Kelso Capital Corp. (NASDAQ:BKCC), Pacific Coast Oil Trust (NYSE:ROYT), Encore Capital Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:ECPG), and Duff & Phelps Corp (NYSE:DUF). All of these stocks are in the asset management industry and their market caps are closest to EPHC’s market cap.

With the returns exhibited by Insider Monkey’s research, retail investors should always monitor hedge fund and insider trading activity, and Epoch Holding Corp (NASDAQ:EPHC) applies perfectly to this mantra.

Click here to learn why you should track hedge funds