Core Viewpoint - Ray Dalio, the founder of Bridgewater Associates, has sold all his shares and exited the board, marking the end of an era for the firm [1][3] Group 1: Leadership Transition - Bridgewater has completed the transition of power, with Dalio's exit symbolizing an "ideal conclusion" to ownership transfer [3] - Dalio had previously transferred all voting rights to the board and stepped down from key positions, although he remained involved in company affairs until now [3] - The transition process was lengthy and complicated, with various CEO combinations and even a lawsuit involved [3] Group 2: Financial Performance - Bridgewater's assets under management have decreased significantly, from $168 billion in 2019 to $92.1 billion by the end of 2024 [4] - The decline in management size is partly due to the implementation of a size cap on the flagship Pure Alpha fund to improve performance [4] - After the size cap, the fund's performance improved, achieving a return of 11.3% in 2024 and 17% in the first half of 2025, compared to a mere 5.9% over the previous five years [4] Group 3: Investment Strategy - In the first quarter of this year, Bridgewater significantly reduced its position in SPDR S&P 500 ETF while acquiring over 5.4 million shares of Alibaba, making it the largest individual holding [7] - The firm has also made substantial investments in gold ETFs, indicating a preference for safe-haven assets amid increasing global economic uncertainty [7] Group 4: Dalio's Economic Views - Dalio has warned about unprecedented levels of debt in countries like the U.S., predicting potential debt crises and significant currency devaluation [6] - He advises investors to avoid debt-related assets and instead invest in gold and Bitcoin as inflation-resistant "hard currencies" [6]

Core Insights - The article discusses the adjustments made by top investors in response to market conditions, particularly before the tariff storm, highlighting a trend towards defensive positioning across various portfolios [1][6][11]. Group 1: Investor Strategies - Warren Buffett maintained a strong position in Apple, holding 300 million shares valued at approximately $66.6 billion, while completely liquidating his position in Citigroup and reducing stakes in other financial stocks [4][5]. - George Soros shifted to a defensive stance, increasing his holdings in the S&P 500 while completely selling off his position in the iShares Russell 2000 ETF, indicating a preference for large-cap stocks over small-cap stocks [7][9]. - Bridgewater Associates made significant changes, including a $300 million investment in gold ETFs, while reducing exposure to major tech stocks like Google and Nvidia, reflecting a cautious outlook on the tech sector [11][15]. Group 2: Specific Stock Movements - Bill Ackman preemptively sold all shares of Nike, anticipating that globalized companies would be adversely affected by new trade policies, while significantly increasing his stake in Uber to 30.3 million shares [16][19]. - David Tepper reduced his position in Alibaba by 22.06% but maintained a significant overall exposure to Chinese tech stocks, indicating a cautiously optimistic view on the Chinese market [20][23]. - Renaissance Technologies increased its stake in Robinhood by over 37%, suggesting a positive outlook on the cryptocurrency trading platform's future [25].

Group 1 - BlackRock's total market value decreased by 3.6%, still favoring tech giants with top five holdings being Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, Amazon, and Meta [1] - Hillhouse Capital's total market value grew nearly 23%, with nearly 20 new and increased positions in Chinese concept stocks; top ten holdings account for about 88%, with nine being Chinese stocks [1] - Berkshire Hathaway significantly reduced its bank stock holdings, completely exiting Citigroup, while maintaining its position in Apple and doubling its stake in a beer manufacturer [1] - Goldman Sachs substantially increased its holdings in the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) ETF by 28%, with a total value exceeding $1.4 billion, becoming the largest institutional investor in IBIT [1] - Ark Invest has reduced its Tesla holdings for three consecutive quarters but remains its largest position, actively investing in emerging technologies including AI and biotechnology [1] Group 2 - Alibaba reduced its stake in XPeng by 3.08 million shares, a decrease of 8.13%; it has previously reduced its holdings multiple times [2] - David Tepper increased his positions in Uber and Meta, while completely exiting AMD and reducing stakes in Alibaba and Microsoft; three of his top five holdings are Chinese stocks [2] - George Soros increased his holdings in the S&P 500 ETF while reducing his position in the Russell 2000 ETF; he is betting on electric utility stocks, AI, space communications, and mining [2] - Michael Burry nearly emptied his stock portfolio, retaining only Estée Lauder, while betting against Nvidia and Chinese stocks like Alibaba through options [2] - Bill Ackman heavily invested in Uber, making it his largest holding, while completely exiting 18.769 million shares of Nike before the "equal tariffs" [2]

Core Insights - BlackRock reported a total market value of $4.76 trillion for its Q1 2025 holdings, down 3.6% from $4.94 trillion in the previous quarter [1][2] - The fund added 238 new stocks, increased holdings in 2006 stocks, reduced holdings in 2721 stocks, and completely sold out of 197 stocks [1][2] - The top ten holdings accounted for 25.39% of the total market value [1][2] Holdings Overview - The largest holding is Apple (AAPL.US) with 1.14 billion shares valued at approximately $253.27 billion, representing 5.32% of the portfolio, an increase of 1.49% from the previous quarter [3][7] - Microsoft (MSFT.US) is the second largest holding with 583 million shares valued at about $218.96 billion, making up 4.60% of the portfolio, up by 1.22% [3][7] - Nvidia (NVDA.US) ranks third with 1.90 billion shares valued at around $206.12 billion, accounting for 4.33% of the portfolio, an increase of 0.64% [4][7] - Amazon (AMZN.US) is fourth with 703 million shares valued at approximately $133.83 billion, representing 2.81% of the portfolio, up by 2.15% [5][7] - Meta (META.US) is fifth with 166 million shares valued at about $95.89 billion, making up 2.01% of the portfolio, an increase of 1.05% [6][7] Trading Activity - The top five purchases included SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY.US), Berkshire Hathaway-B (BRK.B.US), Visa (V.US), AbbVie (ABBV.US), and Eli Lilly (LLY.US) [7][9] - The top five sales included Marvell Technology (MRVL.US), Adobe (ADBE.US), The Trade Desk (TTD.US), Deckers Outdoor (DECK.US), and Eaton (ETN.US) [8][9]

Core Insights - Top investors are adjusting their portfolios defensively in response to market uncertainties, with notable strategies including cash holdings and sector rotations [1][4]. Group 1: Warren Buffett's Strategy - Buffett has maintained a strong position in Apple, holding 300 million shares valued at approximately $66.6 billion, which constitutes 25% of his portfolio [3]. - He completely liquidated his position in Citigroup, selling 14.64 million shares, and reduced his holdings in Bank of America by over 7% [3]. - Buffett's cautious approach reflects a broader skepticism towards traditional financial sectors amid market volatility [3][4]. Group 2: George Soros' Defensive Moves - Soros Fund Management has shifted to a defensive posture, completely selling its 752,000 shares in the iShares Russell 2000 ETF, impacting its portfolio by -3.41% [5]. - The fund significantly increased its holdings in the SPDR S&P 500 ETF by 165.93%, now holding 314,000 shares, indicating a preference for larger companies over small-cap stocks [5]. Group 3: Bridgewater's Investment Adjustments - Bridgewater Associates made substantial changes, including a $300 million investment in SPDR Gold ETF, marking it as their sixth-largest holding [6][7]. - The fund reduced its position in major tech stocks like Google and Nvidia by over 15% and 18%, respectively, while increasing its stake in Alibaba and JD.com [9][8]. Group 4: Bill Ackman's Preemptive Moves - Bill Ackman sold all 18.76 million shares of Nike before the announcement of tariffs, demonstrating a proactive approach to potential trade risks [10][11]. - Ackman increased his position in Uber by 30.3 million shares, making it his largest holding at 18.5% of his portfolio [11]. Group 5: David Tepper's Cautious Optimism - David Tepper reduced his Alibaba holdings by 22.06%, while still maintaining it as his largest position, reflecting a cautious optimism towards Chinese assets [12][15]. - Tepper also decreased his stakes in Microsoft and completely exited positions in AMD and FedEx, indicating a selective approach to technology investments [15]. Group 6: Renaissance Technologies' Focus on Cryptocurrency - Renaissance Technologies increased its stake in Robinhood Markets by over 37%, making it the fourth-largest position, signaling confidence in the cryptocurrency market [16].

Core Insights - Bridgewater Associates made significant changes to its portfolio in Q1 2023, notably increasing its stake in Alibaba and gold ETFs while reducing its holdings in major tech stocks like Nvidia [1][2][3] Group 1: Portfolio Adjustments - Bridgewater purchased over 5.4 million shares of Alibaba, investing $710 million, making it the largest position in its portfolio [2] - The fund also initiated a position in SPDR Gold ETF, acquiring over 1.1 million shares valued at approximately $319 million, representing 1.48% of its total holdings [2] - In the Chinese stock market, Bridgewater increased its holdings in Baidu by nearly 1.88 million shares and in Pinduoduo by around 500,000 shares, while also establishing a position in JD.com [3] Group 2: Major Sell-offs - Bridgewater significantly reduced its position in SPDR S&P 500 ETF by $2.74 billion, decreasing its weight from 22% to less than 9% of the total portfolio [3] - The fund also cut its holdings in Nvidia by 65,540 shares (18.74%), Google by 579,000 shares (15.99%), and Meta by 19,550 shares (31.47%) [3] - Additionally, Bridgewater almost completely exited its position in AppLovin, which had seen an 18% decline in Q1, and also sold off shares in several other companies including ON Semiconductor and Moderna [4] Group 3: Market Outlook - Bridgewater's founder, Ray Dalio, emphasized the importance of a well-thought-out investment strategy in light of the changing global economic landscape, driven by factors such as debt monetization and international power restructuring [5][6] - Dalio highlighted the critical question of whether the U.S. fiscal deficit can be reduced to 3% of GDP, which will influence the future of debt and currency value [5]

Core Viewpoint - Bridgewater Associates significantly increased its position in Alibaba by over 21 times in Q1 2025, while reducing its stake in Nvidia by 66,000 shares to 2.84 million shares [1][5]. Group 1: Portfolio Adjustments - As of March 31, 2025, Bridgewater's total portfolio size was $21.55 billion, with the top three holdings being SPDR S&P 500 ETF, iShares S&P 500 ETF, and iShares Core Emerging Markets ETF [2][4]. - Bridgewater reduced its holding in SPDR S&P 500 ETF by 59%, leading to a 61% decrease in its market value within the portfolio [4]. - The fund made a substantial investment in gold ETFs, holding 1.106 million shares of SPDR Gold ETF, making it the sixth-largest holding in the portfolio [5]. Group 2: Individual Stock Movements - Bridgewater's position in Alibaba surged from 255,000 shares at the end of the previous year to 5.66 million shares, marking a 2,120% increase, coinciding with Alibaba's stock price rising over 50% in Q1 2025 [5]. - Other notable increases included Baidu with an addition of 1.879 million shares, Pinduoduo with nearly 500,000 shares, and 2.78 million shares of JD.com [6]. - The fund also increased its stake in Netflix by 30,500 shares, PayPal by 52% (from 2.36 million to 3.6 million shares), and Microsoft by 21% (from 667,000 to 809,400 shares) [6]. - Conversely, Bridgewater reduced its holdings in Lam Research by 570,000 shares to 196,000 shares, and Nvidia by 66,000 shares to 2.84 million shares, while completely exiting its position in Ulta Beauty [6][7]. Group 3: Strategic Insights - Bridgewater's co-CIO Karen Karniol-Tambour emphasized the need for investors to reduce exposure to U.S. assets and increase allocation to other economies, as the U.S. economy may not continue to outperform globally as it has in the past 15 years [9]. - She suggested that portfolios should not only include assets that perform well during economic growth but also consider inflation-linked bonds, nominal bonds, and commodities like gold to achieve better balance [9]. - The current environment calls for maintaining liquidity and flexibility in asset allocation to capture opportunities when market conditions change dramatically [10].

Group 1 - The core viewpoint of the article highlights Bridgewater Associates' cautious investment strategy amid global economic volatility, as evidenced by significant adjustments in their portfolio during the first quarter of the year [1][3] - As of March 31, Bridgewater's total assets amounted to $21.55 billion, reflecting a strategic shift in their investment focus [1] - Bridgewater drastically reduced its holdings in the SPDR S&P 500 ETF by nearly 60%, decreasing its proportion in the portfolio from 22% at the end of the previous quarter to less than 9% [3] Group 2 - In contrast to the reduction in U.S. equities, Bridgewater significantly increased its investment in Chinese assets, notably purchasing over 5.4 million shares of Alibaba, which became the largest individual stock in their portfolio with a 21-fold increase in holdings [3] - Alibaba's stock price rose over 50% in the first quarter, contributing to substantial returns for Bridgewater [3] - Additionally, Bridgewater increased its positions in Baidu and Pinduoduo, and initiated a new investment in JD.com during the same period [3] Group 3 - Bridgewater also made a substantial investment in gold ETFs, acquiring 110.6 thousand shares of the SPDR Gold ETF, making it the sixth-largest holding in their portfolio [3] - The rising gold prices during the first quarter provided significant returns for Bridgewater's investment portfolio [3]