Here is What Hedge Funds Think About Duff & Phelps Corp (DUF)

Duff & Phelps Corp (NYSE:DUF) has experienced an increase in activity from the world’s largest hedge funds lately.

To the average investor, there are dozens of gauges investors can use to analyze the equity markets. A couple of the best are hedge fund and insider trading activity. At Insider Monkey, our research analyses have shown that, historically, those who follow the best picks of the best hedge fund managers can trounce the market by a superb margin (see just how much).

Equally as key, positive insider trading sentiment is a second way to parse down the world of equities. Obviously, there are plenty of motivations for an insider to sell shares of his or her company, but only one, very clear reason why they would buy. Many empirical studies have demonstrated the valuable potential of this method if investors know what to do (learn more here).

Now, let’s take a look at the recent action encompassing Duff & Phelps Corp (NYSE:DUF).

Hedge fund activity in Duff & Phelps Corp (NYSE:DUF)

Heading into Q2, a total of 17 of the hedge funds we track held long positions in this stock, a change of 31% from the first quarter. With the smart money’s capital changing hands, there exists a few noteworthy hedge fund managers who were boosting their stakes substantially.

Of the funds we track, John Paulson’s Paulson & Co had the biggest position in Duff & Phelps Corp (NYSE:DUF), worth close to $31 million, comprising 0.2% of its total 13F portfolio. Sitting at the No. 2 spot is Millennium Management, managed by Israel Englander, which held a $19.1 million position; 0.1% of its 13F portfolio is allocated to the company. Remaining peers that are bullish include Cliff Asness’s AQR Capital Management, Robert Emil Zoellner’s Alpine Associates and Mario Gabelli’s GAMCO Investors.

As one would reasonably expect, key money managers were breaking ground themselves. AQR Capital Management, managed by Cliff Asness, established the most outsized position in Duff & Phelps Corp (NYSE:DUF). AQR Capital Management had 15.6 million invested in the company at the end of the quarter. Robert Emil Zoellner’s Alpine Associates also initiated a $10.7 million position during the quarter. The other funds with brand new DUF positions are Jean-Marie Eveillard’s First Eagle Investment Management, Sander Gerber’s Hudson Bay Capital Management, and Paul Glazer’s Glazer Capital.

How have insiders been trading Duff & Phelps Corp (NYSE:DUF)?

Insider purchases made by high-level executives is best served when the primary stock in question has experienced transactions within the past 180 days. Over the latest six-month time period, Duff & Phelps Corp (NYSE:DUF) has experienced zero unique insiders purchasing, and zero insider sales (see the details of insider trades here).

With the returns shown by the aforementioned time-tested strategies, everyday investors must always keep an eye on hedge fund and insider trading activity, and Duff & Phelps Corp (NYSE:DUF) is no exception.

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