Gratus Capital's Q3 vs. Q4 2022 13F Holdings Comparison Reveals Significant Portfolio Changes

Investors and financial analysts eagerly await the release of quarterly 13F filings from institutional investment managers, which reveal the changes in their holdings over the previous quarter. Gratus Capital LLC's recently released Q3 2022 vs. Q4 2022 13F holdings comparison provides useful insights into the investment strategy of the firm.

Upon analyzing the data, it becomes evident that Gratus Capital LLC has been active in tweaking their portfolio during this period, with several noteworthy changes in their top holdings. Let's take a closer look at the significant changes in holdings of the fund.

The iShares Core Dividend Growth ETF (DGRO) was the top holding for Gratus Capital in both Q3 and Q4 2022, with a total share count of around 1.2 million. However, there was a notable increase in the value of DGRO holdings during Q4 compared to Q3, with a change percentage of 12.1% representing an increase of nearly $6,500,000. This suggests that Gratus Capital has continued to place value in consistent and reliable dividend-paying stocks.

Another change in the top holdings for the firm was an increase in the number of shares of the iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA), which went from 0 in Q3 to around 918,749 in Q4. The value of IEFA holdings also increased significantly, totaling over $56,000,000. These changes indicate that Gratus Capital is gaining more exposure to non-US equity markets, especially those in Europe, Asia, and Australia.

There were several cases where Gratus Capital decreased its holdings in stocks that were prominent in Q3. For example, the value of holdings in the Invesco Ultra Short Duration ETF (GSY) decreased by 2%, representing a nearly $1,100,000 decline. Similarly, Gratus Capital reduced its holdings in AbbVie Inc. (ABBV) and EQT Corporation (EQT) by nearly 6% and 13%, respectively, during Q4.

One significant change that caught the attention of many investors in Gratus Capital's holdings was their massive jump in Walmart Inc. (WMT) shares. The number of WMT shares held by the firm rose from around 13,711 in Q3 to over 112,581 in Q4, representing an increase of nearly 800%. The value of the holdings also surged from approximately $1,800,000 to over $159,000,000. This significant change suggests that Gratus Capital sees Walmart as an attractive investment opportunity in the retail sector, potentially due to the strength of its e-commerce business and its continued expansion into new markets.

Other notable increases in Q4 holdings included JPMorgan Chase & Co (JPM), with a nearly 118% increase in the number of shares held and a corresponding increase in value. Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) saw a similar increase of over 32% in the total share count, ultimately surging to over $19,000,000 in value.

Gratus Capital made several decreases in holdings during Q4, including significant changes in shares of Facebook Inc. (FB) and Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL). In the case of GOOGL, the total number of shares held by the firm fell by over 3%, with a corresponding decrease in value. Facebook saw a slight decrease of around 0.4% in total value, but the number of shares held remained relatively stable.

In conclusion, the Gratus Capital LLC Q3 2022 vs. Q4 2022 13F holdings comparison report shows that Gratus Capital remains actively engaged in managing their portfolio holdings. The report indicates that the firm has made some significant adjustments to their investments, including increasing their exposure to non-US markets, emphasizing dividend-paying stocks, and investing in retail companies that demonstrate consistent growth potential. It is worth noting that while institutional investors like Gratus Capital have large amounts of capital in play, individual investors can also take a page from their book and monitor changes in prices and holdings to adjust their portfolios accordingly.