Why Hedge Funds Are Suddenly Pouring Into Tech
Alex Moschina|August 27, 2022
Is Big Tech… back?
If the latest data flow is any indication, it sure could be.
Big investors appear to be doubling down at depressed prices.
It’s a good (and profitable?) theme to ponder… from my laptop… in the comfort of my home office (complete with mesh Wi-Fi)… where I just wrapped up a Zoom call with Andy, who was on a ship in the North Sea.
This is life now. The COVID-19 pandemic – and the lockdowns that came with it – ramped up the adoption of new technologies to an unprecedented degree.
Folks who’d never considered ordering groceries online were suddenly willing to take the plunge. According to one industry report, online retail experienced four straight quarters of hypergrowth.
Netflix (NFLX) subscriptions surged to more than 200 million users. Disney (DIS) brought on 100 million subscribers for its brand-new (at the time) streaming service.
And we shouldn’t forget the quarantined millions who activated Robinhood (HOOD) accounts in the hopes of turning their stimulus checks into crypto gold.
It all sent shares of Big Tech companies soaring.
From the bottom of the “Corona Crash” in 2020 to the end of last year, the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) more than doubled.
Apple (AAPL) shot up 215%… Microsoft (MSFT) went up 150%… and at one point Nvidia (NVDA) soared more than 500%.
But you know what happened next.
What goes up, etc., etc.
All three of the heavy-hitters I just mentioned are down between 7% and 42% for the year. (Alpesh explored Apple’s recent troubles in his latest market update.)
If we zoom in, however… the picture starts to look a bit rosier.
After six months of chaos in the stock market, some cautious optimism seems to be returning to tech.
And we’re not the only ones taking notice…
As Bloomberg reported on Wednesday, hedge funds have begun flowing back into tech in a big way.
Big names from Amazon (AMZN) to Uber (UBER) saw a jump in investment during the past quarter. And after a rougher go than most, even Meta Platforms (META) is feeling the love.
Goldman Sachs sums up the recalibration thusly:
Stymied by an uncertain market environment and poor recent returns, hedge funds have cut leverage, shifted back towards growth and increased portfolio concentrations.
In other words… life is short… and growth is back, baby!
And there’s no better place for growth than tech.
Looking for the perfect opportunity right now?
Alex Moschina
Alex Moschina is the associate publisher of Manward Press. A gifted writer, editor and financial researcher, Alex’s career in publishing began more than a decade ago when he worked at one of the world’s leading providers of academic research and reference materials. Alex first cut his teeth in the realm of investing when he joined the team at White Cap Research in 2010. There he was charged with covering emerging market trends and investment opportunities. A stint as senior managing editor and editorial director at the prestigious Oxford Club followed. A frequent speaker at conferences and events, Alex has led educational workshops across the U.S. and Canada.
