Does Billionaire Ken Griffin Know Something Wall Street Doesn’t? The Citadel Chief Sold 91% of His Stake in Palantir and Is Piling Into This Stock-Split Stock Instead.

Billionaire Ken Griffin has made an indelible mark on Wall Street and has been cited as some of the profitable buyers of all time. He famously predicted the 1987 inventory market crash, referred to as “Black Monday,” shorting shares forward of the decline and making a veritable fortune. His hedge fund, Citadel Advisors, generated features of 15% final yr, turning a revenue of $7 billion and outperforming a lot of his friends. This got here on the heels of his blockbuster efficiency in 2022, when Citadel was named “probably the most profitable hedge fund ever,” in accordance with CNN, with a revenue of $16 billion, the “largest annual windfall on document,” in accordance with the report.

Griffin can be a giant proponent relating to the potential of generative synthetic intelligence (AI). “This department of AI shall be game-changing for the economic system as a result of it can take an infinite quantity of labor that is achieved at present by folks and do it in a distinctly completely different, extremely automated, extremely environment friendly method,” Griffin mentioned.

With that as a backdrop, it is notable that Griffin offered an eye catching 91% of Citadel’s stake in AI specialist Palantir Technologies (PLTR 0.47%) and is piling right into a high-profile stock-split inventory as an alternative.

Image supply: Getty Images.

Palantir has gone parabolic

Palantir has greater than 20 years of expertise within the discipline of AI, and it moved shortly when generative AI went viral early final yr. The firm developed its Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP), a cutting-edge AI device that helps companies resolve real-world issues utilizing company-specific information. However, Palantir’s greatest coup was creating hands-on periods referred to as boot camps, which pair prospects with Palantir engineers to create these AI-fueled options.

That technique has been wildly profitable. Palantir’s U.S. business income, which incorporates AIP, jumped 54% yr over yr and 13% sequentially within the third quarter, whereas prospects within the section soared 77%. Furthermore, the section’s remaining deal worth jumped 73%, suggesting its progress streak will proceed.

The outcomes assist illustrate why Palantir inventory is up 295% over the previous yr and greater than 1,000% because the begin of 2023 (as of this writing). It additionally did not damage that Palantir was admitted to the S&P 500 on Sept. 23.

In mild of the corporate’s ongoing profitable streak and spectacular inventory worth features, it might sound stunning that Griffin went on a promoting spree, dumping greater than 5 million shares of Palantir inventory and lowering his place by roughly 91%. However, the hovering inventory worth introduced with it a commensurate enhance within the valuation and Palantir closed out the third quarter promoting for 98 instances ahead earnings. With a valuation of that magnitude, it is not stunning that Griffin went discount searching.

What’s intriguing is that Citadel piled into Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG 0.28%) inventory.

Want chips with that?

There’s little doubt Griffin believed Chipotle represented a compelling alternative within the third quarter. The billionaire investor elevated Citadel’s stake by greater than 7 million shares and elevated his place by 454%. That introduced his complete stake to eight.64 million shares value $552 million. Despite holding 1000’s of shares, Chipotle is Griffin’s Twelfth-largest particular person inventory holding.

Chipotle has lengthy been a pioneer within the fast-casual {industry}, bringing “meals with integrity” to the mainstream. The firm has employed a lot of profitable methods to gas demand, together with an industry-leading buyer loyalty program, a sturdy digital technique, and the event of drive-thru “Chipotlanes” for cell orders, with separate preparation strains to hurry throughput.

It hasn’t all been clean crusing, as the corporate was hit with a few troubling developments within the third quarter. In early July, Chipotle introduced the pending retirement of CFO Jack Hartung in 2025. Just weeks later, the corporate obtained a second serving to of unhealthy information. Celebrated CEO Brian Niccol, who was credited with efficiently reinvigorating the model, was poached by Starbucks. The double dose of uncertainty despatched fair-weather buyers looking for greener pastures, sending the inventory plunging.

However, this information did not have any impression on Chipotle’s monetary outcomes. For the third quarter, income of $2.8 billion climbed 13%, whereas its diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.28 elevated 22%. It’s usually a very good signal when revenue grows sooner than gross sales, as this means a degree of spending self-discipline. Furthermore, Chipotle’s comparable retailer gross sales elevated 6%, fueled by each a rise in transactions and the next common examine.

The firm’s constantly sturdy outcomes assist clarify why Chipotle inventory is up 46% over the previous yr and 103% over the previous three years — regardless of the financial headwinds. It additionally led to a 50-for-1 inventory break up earlier this yr, which was accomplished on June 26, introducing an entire new era of buyers to the inventory.

We do not know for sure when in the course of the third quarter that Griffin added to his stake in Chipotle, however we will make an informed guess by reviewing the inventory chart. When pleasure surrounding the inventory break up reached a fever pitch, Chipotle roared to a brand new all-time excessive, however the lack of two C-suite executives introduced it again to earth. During a five-week interval between June and July, the inventory misplaced roughly 27% of its worth. Griffin seemingly noticed a deal that was just too good to withstand and piled into Chipotle inventory to make the most of the hearth sale.

In hindsight, it appears clear Griffin did not know one thing that Wall Street does not. He was merely reacting to what he considered as a transparent alternative. Should buyers observe go well with?

Chipotle inventory has not often been low-cost and at present sells for 58 instances ahead earnings, which could be off-putting for some buyers. However, on the time of Chipotle’s current hunch, the inventory was buying and selling for 45 instances ahead earnings, slightly below its five-year common a number of of 46, seemingly prompting Griffin’s curiosity.

Looking forward to 2025, Wall Street expects Chipotle to generate EPS of $1.32, which works out to 48 instances ahead gross sales, which is not far more than what Griffin paid. To be clear, that is a premium in comparison with a a number of of 31 for the S&P 500. That mentioned, Chipotle inventory is up greater than 300% over the previous 5 years (as of this writing), greater than 3 instances the 96% features of the broader market.

That helps illustrate why Chipotle inventory is worthy of a premium and why it stays a purchase.