Comparing Marshwinds Advisory Co's Q3 to Q4 2018: Analyzing the Changes in their 13F Holdings

As the world of finance becomes increasingly competitive, it's important for investors to stay up-to-date with current trends and changes within the market. One way to do this is by analyzing the 13F filings from top fund managers, such as Marshwinds Advisory Co. In this blog post, we'll be comparing Marshwinds Advisory Co's third-quarter holdings to their fourth-quarter holdings in 2018, as listed on their 13F filing.

Introduction to Marshwinds Advisory Co

Marshwinds Advisory Co is an investment advisory firm based out of South Carolina. According to their website, their investment approach is "growth oriented with a blend of value investments." The firm manages portfolios for individuals, foundations, and corporate retirement accounts. Their portfolio managers use both quantitative and qualitative strategies to make investment decisions.

Marshwinds Advisory Co - Q3 vs. Q4 2018

According to the 13F filing submitted to the SEC, there were some notable changes in Marshwinds Advisory Co's holdings between Q3 and Q4 of 2018. Here are a few of the most significant changes:

Microsoft (MSFT):

In Q3 of 2018, Marshwinds Advisory Co held 74,486 shares of Microsoft, valued at $8,519,000. However, in Q4, they sold off some of their shares and ended up with 70,751 shares, valued at $7,186,000. This represents a decrease of 15.6%.

Oracle Corp (ORCL):

Marshwinds Advisory Co owned 104,231 shares of Oracle in Q3, but the number went down to 98,971 shares in Q4. This is a decrease of 5.1%. The total value of their shares in Oracle also decreased from $5,374,000 to $4,469,000.

Coca-Cola (KO):

Marshwinds held 147,663 shares of Coca-Cola in Q3, but the number went down to 144,389 in Q4. This is a decrease of 2.2%. The total value of their shares in Coca-Cola increased slightly from $6,821,000 to $6,837,000.

The above examples demonstrate the type of changes that occurred in Marshwinds Advisory Co's holdings between Q3 and Q4 of 2018. Overall, it appears that the fund reduced its exposure to certain stocks, such as Microsoft, Oracle, and Intel.

Conversely, they slightly increased their holdings in other stocks, such as Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble. However, this increase in value is not significant enough to truly denote a strategy shift towards these companies.

What Can We Learn from this Data?

Marshwinds Advisory Co's decisions to increase or decrease its holdings in various companies could be due to a number of factors. It's possible the firm simply saw greater potential in certain companies or sectors, while divesting from others that were deemed overvalued. Additionally, regulatory or macroeconomic factors, even global events such as the US-China trade war, could have also influenced Marshwinds' allocation of investment capital.

In addition to the specifics on the portfolio changes in Marshwinds Advisory Co's holdings, it is important to note that mutual funds, such as Marshwinds, often hold a variety of investments across multiple funds. A single fund manager may not be entirely responsible for the changes made in any one fund.

Conclusion

In conclusion, analyzing the 13F filings of fund managers can provide valuable insights into their investment strategy. Marshwinds Advisory Co's Q3 to Q4 2018 analysis indicates that certain stocks were decreased in value allocation, whereas others were slightly increased. While this data may not be directly actionable by individual investors, it does demonstrate the micro and macro-economic influences in key investment decisions for mutual funds.